40k Alternate Timeline

[WolfLogic]

Basic Premise

• *Emperor and all 18 Primarchs alive and loyal.
• Emperor did something different at Monarchia and Lorgar stayed loyal as a result.
• Emperor talked to Horus before naming him Warmaster at Ullanor
• Emperor brought Magnus the Red and his legion back to Terra to assist with the Webway project
• Great Crusade eventually ends in Triumph on Terra

 

 

• Centuries after Ullanor the Emperor reveals the Webway Project to the greater Imperium and announces the Webway Crusade
• The Webway Crusade initially goes quite well due to internal strife amongst the Aeldari.
• After endless defeats the Aeldari get desperate and some start falling to Chaos, leading to their powers being supercharged.
• Seeing that their fallen brethren are capable of resisting Imperial aggression, the Aeldari are left with a choice, fall to Chaos or extinction at the hands of the Mon’keigh
• A great council is held between the Craftworlders, Commorites, and the Harlequins to decide the fate of their species.
• Craftworlders and commorites decide to fall to chaos while the Harlequins disappear

 

 

• In a role reversal unseen by any of Emperor’s visions the Aeldari begin pushing mankind out of the Webway
• Even with all its teeming quadrillions, the full might of the Mechanicum, the Primarchs, and the Emperor, humanity is unable to hold the line and are pushed back to the Terran Gate
• While denied access to the Webway, Humanity is able to hold the Aeldari at the Terran Gate despite the great cost it must endure to do so
• As a result Aeldari begin attacking the Imperium through other Webway gates and a battle of seers begins, each side trying to out scry the other.

 

 

• During all of this the Orks make a resurgence, the Imperiums armies locked in combat elsewhere
• Led by savage Beasts, the Orks are a greater threat than ever before
• With the Astartes legions stuck fighting the Aeldari, combating the Orks is left to the regular men and women of the Imperium
• Thus the Solar Auxilia, which had subsumed the Imperial Army centuries ago, became the Solar Infantry or as it’s known in High Gothic the Astra Militarum

As of the 41st Millennium

• The Aeldari and the Imperium are still at war, countless worlds and Craftworlds have burned.
• Almost every Exodite World has been quarantined by the Imperium, rumor has it the Harlequins made a deal to prevent their extermination.
• Unconfirmed since nobody has officially seen the Harlequins in almost 10k years
• Necrons start waking up in mass, the Imperium hoping for an ally in their fight against the Aeldari
• Tyranids have made landfall in the galactic east but is met with strong resistance
• Tau are propped up by the Imperium to take the brunt of the Tyranid’s attack in exchange for the Imperium not having to fight them directly
• In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war

Edited September 21, 2021 by WolfLogic

[WolfLogic]

In the beginning He promised that victory would bring peace and prosperity to a broken galaxy. That humanity would be ascendant, and that its light would burn away the suffering of Old Night.

 

That was a lie.

 

From mankind’s homeworld emerged the Emperor of Mankind, He who swept aside the terrible tyrants and psyker monstrosities that had come to rule Terra and Luna during Old Night. After the Unification Wars the Emperor turned his gaze to the stars, forming a tentative peace with Mars through the Treaty of Olympus. With the Sol System under Imperial control the Emperor declared the start of a Great Crusade, looking to unite the estranged worlds of humanity and slay the myriad xenos horrors lurking in the darkness.

 

And so the march of the newly founded Imperium began, only hampered by the teeming Ork hordes and the horrific Rangdans, both defeated despite the great cost.

 

With the destruction of the last great Ork empire based around Ullanor, the Emperor talked with His favored son Horus Lupercal, and made him the new Warmaster. Afterwards the Emperor returned to Terra, His son Magnus the Red and his legion, the Thousand Sons, in tow. He would not be seen again for centuries.

 

Horus led the continuing Great Crusade with ease, crushing all the remaining xenos civilizations that stood in its way. It was then that Horus declared the Great Crusade finished, every element was to return to Terra for The Triumph. While the Emperor remained absent, Magnus the Red came in His place before disappearing once more.

 

During this time, the Imperium was finally at peace after having spent its first three centuries in brutal wars. Living standards increased and technology marched ever onwards.

 

Finally, the Emperor emerged, unveiling the “Human” Webway. It was then that he announced a new crusade to conquer the Webway and rid humanity of the fickle currents of the warp forevermore.

 

Many look back on this moment as to when the dream finally shattered.

 

Of course the Webway Crusade was contested by the Aeldari, who had lost several Craftworlds and countless maiden worlds at the hands of Imperial aggression.

 

Initially the Imperium made quick progress, handing the Aeldari defeat after defeat until almost all of the Webway connecting to Segmentum Solar was firmly under Imperial control. The internal strife of the Aeldari doing them no favors.

 

It was around this time that clusters of Craftworlders and Commorites began falling to Chaos, the powers of the warp that had previously failed to corrupt humanity from within. This granted them great powers not seen since before The Fall. While it would cause horrific casualties, the Imperium was capable of exterminating these isolated groups while still holding the line.

 

The possibility of allying to Chaos seeped into the minds of the younger Aeldari, those born after The Fall and only told tales of those dark days. They argued that it would grant them the power to push back the Imperium and save the Aeldari from extinction.

 

A grand council of all the Craftworlds, Commorite Dynasties, and a Harlequins was called, and after much arguing an agreement was reached between the Craftworlders and the Commorites despite the Harlequins protests, the Aeldari would ally itself with Chaos.

 

Almost instantly after the bargain was struck a blast of psychic energy eclipsing even the Emperor rolled through the Webway. The Aeldari being empowered by its touch.

 

What was once looking to be a hard fought but sure victory was now a slaughter. Even with the Emperor calling for the full might of the Imperium to hold back the Chaos Aeldari, it was impossible to hold back the tide.

 

Despite how quickly the Imperium was pushed back to the Terran Gate, the Emperor and the Primarchs were able to protect the Throneworld and ensure none could exit through it after they themselves left, without collapsing the Webway Gate entirely.

 

There is some contention between historians but it is widely believe the Harlequins are responsible for the knowledge of how to do so.

 

Unable to attack humanities homeworld, the Aeldari began exiting other gates to descend upon human worlds in revenge. It is only thanks to the peerless foresight of the Emperor and His sanctioned Psykana that the Legiones Astartes are able to react quickly enough to save these worlds.

 

This battle of seers would continue for millennia until everything changed in M41.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Very interesting twist on this idea. It's not just a role reversal scenario involving the Primarchs and their legions which is fresh. Although the Eldar have fewer resources and smaller population they know the webway better and it's myriad portals (many probably unknown to the Imperium) would allow for numerous hit and run attacks. Coupled with chaos reinforcement, it's not a far fetched scenario at all.

 

The Eldar fall to chaos is going to be a key story point to consider carefully:

• Given their previous experience with chaos (Fleeing from Slaanesh), how were they persuaded to turn?
• What sort of pact did the engage in with chaos to avoid obliteration by Slaanesh?
• Do the Eldar maintain strict control of the webway infrastructure to prevent chaos swarming in, as is their want?

What did the Emperor do differently with the more disaffected Primarchs to maintain their loyalty? I like the idea of the Emperor involving Magnus and his legion in the Webway Project from the get go.

 

As I'm very invested in the traditional 40K lore/game and alternate history is generally not my thing, I usually pass this kind of thing by. However, this has peeked my interest and looks promising. Looking forward to seeing more

[WolfLogic]

Very interesting twist on this idea. It's not just a role reversal scenario involving the Primarchs and their legions which is fresh. Although the Eldar have fewer resources and smaller population they know the webway better and it's myriad portals (many probably unknown to the Imperium) would allow for numerous hit and run attacks. Coupled with chaos reinforcement, it's not a far fetched scenario at all.

 

The Eldar fall to chaos is going to be a key story point to consider carefully:

• Given their previous experience with chaos (Fleeing from Slaanesh), how were they persuaded to turn?
• What sort of pact did the engage in with chaos to avoid obliteration by Slaanesh?
• Do the Eldar maintain strict control of the webway infrastructure to prevent chaos swarming in, as is their want?

What did the Emperor do differently with the more disaffected Primarchs to maintain their loyalty? I like the idea of the Emperor involving Magnus and his legion in the Webway Project from the get go.

 

As I'm very invested in the traditional 40K lore/game and alternate history is generally not my thing, I usually pass this kind of thing by. However, this has peeked my interest and looks promising. Looking forward to seeing more

I'll be honest, your 3rd bullet point has really thrown me for a loop. I feel like I have a lot of other interesting lore tidbits I could add to make this story feel more fleshed out but I just can't figure out how to answer that one question. My best guess would be for Chaos to be much more desperate since their plans for the Heresy failed and the Imperial Truth had continued to indoctrinate Imperial citizens for at that point, close to a millennium. Being more desperate they were willing to make a less one sided deal with the Aeldari but I'm not even sure that's really possible for Chaos. 

 

You might be able to tell I'm struggling with this but I've been trying to think of an answer for about a month now to no avail. Maybe if I just gloss over it nobody else will call me out. I'm going to continue to come up with ideas for this thing as I quite like the idea, but until I figure out the answer to bullet point #3, I don't know if I'll post any of it.

[BloodyB]

I like this idea, and really think that it would have been a very cool idea.

 

The Eldar fall to chaos is going to be a key story point to consider carefully:

 

• Given their previous experience with chaos (Fleeing from Slaanesh), how were they persuaded to turn?
• What sort of pact did the engage in with chaos to avoid obliteration by Slaanesh?
• Do the Eldar maintain strict control of the webway infrastructure to prevent chaos swarming in, as is their want?

What did the Emperor do differently with the more disaffected Primarchs to maintain their loyalty? I like the idea of the Emperor involving Magnus and his legion in the Webway Project from the get go.

 

As I'm very invested in the traditional 40K lore/game and alternate history is generally not my thing, I usually pass this kind of thing by. However, this has peeked my interest and looks promising. Looking forward to seeing more:yes:

That third point is giving you trouble? You could try the Geedubs tried and true method of 'sometimes'. Maybe some Eldar are all for moar Daemons scampering hither and thither, while others don't. You have already established that the Eldar have at least 2 factions, pro and anti chaos, so why not divisions not too far dissimilar from the divides between the Chaos Gods? Some Eldar seek to further Chaos, being truly devout, while others plan to betray Chaos, or at least part ways after the upstart Mon'keigh are dealt with, and from there plan to rebuild the ancient Aeldari empire.

 

Of course, this is me offering my own impression of your idea, feel free to embrace or ridicule as you wish, but I hope to see more of this.

[WolfLogic]

I like this idea, and really think that it would have been a very cool idea.

 

The Eldar fall to chaos is going to be a key story point to consider carefully:

• Given their previous experience with chaos (Fleeing from Slaanesh), how were they persuaded to turn?
• What sort of pact did the engage in with chaos to avoid obliteration by Slaanesh?
• Do the Eldar maintain strict control of the webway infrastructure to prevent chaos swarming in, as is their want?

What did the Emperor do differently with the more disaffected Primarchs to maintain their loyalty? I like the idea of the Emperor involving Magnus and his legion in the Webway Project from the get go.

 

As I'm very invested in the traditional 40K lore/game and alternate history is generally not my thing, I usually pass this kind of thing by. However, this has peeked my interest and looks promising. Looking forward to seeing more:yes:

That third point is giving you trouble? You could try the Geedubs tried and true method of 'sometimes'. Maybe some Eldar are all for moar Daemons scampering hither and thither, while others don't. You have already established that the Eldar have at least 2 factions, pro and anti chaos, so why not divisions not too far dissimilar from the divides between the Chaos Gods? Some Eldar seek to further Chaos, being truly devout, while others plan to betray Chaos, or at least part ways after the upstart Mon'keigh are dealt with, and from there plan to rebuild the ancient Aeldari empire.

 

Of course, this is me offering my own impression of your idea, feel free to embrace or ridicule as you wish, but I hope to see more of this.

 

I can probably work with that, granted the "non chaos" faction is exclusively the Harlequins and I don't plan on having them be much more than background characters if even that. They basically exist to maybe do two things. 

1. Maybe have given the Imperium knowledge on sealing the Terran Webway gate 

2. Maybe in exchange for that knowledge, the Imperium agreed to leave the Maiden Worlds alone. 

 

I say maybe so much because I want that air of mystery that 40k has regarding certain events. 

 

I think my next move is giving a couple short "intros" for each faction as of the 41st millennium. One for the Imperium, one for the Aeldari, one for the Orks, and maybe one hinting at the Tyranids.

[WolfLogic]

The Astra Militarum

The Solar Infantry, or in High Gothic the Astra Militarum, finds its roots in the Imperial Army of old. As the Great Crusade progressed, the effectiveness of the Solar Auxilia as a distinct military concept and coherent fighting force was proved time and again, and cohorts were raised in increasing number as the Crusade progressed.It would be in the third and final century of the Great Crusade that the Solar Auxilia subsumed the Imperial Army. Every soldier raised was trained as an Auxiliary and issued Void Armor and a Lasrifle, drastically increasing the effectiveness of the Imperial Army. It was around this time that the Imperial Army was renamed. 

 

For most of its early history, the Solar Infantry acted as an auxiliary force to the Legiones Astartes. Warring alongside the Astartes and fighting independently against the many petty conflicts left in the galaxy. When the Warmaster, Horus, declared the Great Crusade over, trillions of auxiliaries went to Terra for The Triumph. It was glorious, millions of cohorts marched the streets on Terra while the countless citizens gave their unending adulations to their protectors. At the Triumph’s end, billions were released from their service, while trillions more remained, looking forward to completing the Emperor’s work. For there could be no peace amongst the stars when countless alien civilizations remained, tiny as they might be. 

 

For centuries, system after system was cataloged for settlement or extermination. Grand armadas were constructed using the most potent designs recovered by the Mechanicum. This era was considered peaceful by the Core Worlds of the Imperium, as they were rarely affected by the numerous xenos threats still present in the galaxy. This all came to an end when the Emperor emerged from the depths of the Imperial palace and announced the Webway Crusade to be led by Him personally, the launch of which would take place concurrent to the beginning of the Eternal Crusade’s numerous wars.

 

This era is when the Solar Infantry truly came into its own. With the Legiones Astartes shifting focus to the new Crusade, it was up to baseline humanity to finish cleansing the galaxy. During this time thousands of myriad xenos species and a few rouge human states that resisted Imperial attempts to bring them into compliance were destroyed. There are even some legends that speak of species that fell without a single human casualty.

 

Unfortunately, this all fell apart when the Eldar fell to Chaos as a whole. Inside the Webway the Legiones Astartes was pushed back to the Terran Gate by the newly empowered Eldar. While the exact events following the Imperium getting pushed out of the Webway are clouded in mystery, it is known that billions of Solar Infantrymen gave their lives so that the Emperor could seal the Terran Gate closed. Following this the Solar Infantry found itself truly separated from the Legiones Astartes. The Astartes were busy responding to Eldar incursions throughout Imperial space, as only they had fleets quick enough to answer in time. During this time, by order of the Emperor, the Solar Infantry continued the Eternal Crusade hoping to one day scour the galaxy clean of xenos life so that the entirety of the Imperium’s military might could be brought against the Eldar.

 

Unfortunately this would never come to pass. On Ullanor and other systems around the galaxy warp storms appeared, and when they dissipated the Orks had resurfaced greater than ever seen before, empowered by Gork and Mork directly. Great Waaaghs led by savage Beasts assaulted the already besieged Imperium. With the Legiones Astartes otherwise occupied, it fell to the Solar Infantry to respond to these threats. This initial resurgence was eventually put down, but the Imperium received massive losses on a scale not seen since the height of the Rangdan Xenocides. This only brought temporary relief for the beleaguered Imperium, as Gork and Mork continued to empower Beasts in an attempt to shatter the unified Imperium.

 

For ten thousand years the Solar Infantry has divided its attention between battling the Orks and scouring the galaxy clean. They’ve become efficient killers, but there is no respite. To waver would lead to the end of the Imperium. It is these brave men and women who have held the line for ten thousand years and they’re ready to do it for ten thousand more.

Edited February 22, 2022 by WolfLogic

[WolfLogic]

I find it difficult to write about an Imperium that follows the Imperial Truth as so many common sayings are rooted in religion. I rewrote the last paragraph about 10 times trying to leave out the "be damned" part as that has religious connotations but couldn't think of a better way to say it. To anybody who sees this please tell me what you think. I've been working on this for a couple days and think it turned out alright but I'm no writer so it could obviously be better. Thanks

[WolfLogic]

The Legiones Astartes
Created by the Emperor during the dawn of the Imperium, the Astartes are transhuman warriors greater than any other the galaxy has ever seen. Alone an Astartes is capable of besting one hundred normal soldiers or more in combat. Organized into vast legions, there is no threat in the galaxy the Astartes can’t overcome.

The legions spearheaded the Great Crusade, annihilating countless xenos horrors and integrating thousands of lost human worlds into the Imperium. When the Rangdan threat appeared it was only the Astartes that were capable of besting them, and even then it came at a terrible cost. At Ullanor almost half of the Astartes in the galaxy were needed to crush the Orks and kill their war boss Urrlak Urruk.

Following the Emperor’s departure from the Great Crusade the Astartes continued their noble work and cleansed the remaining major xenos threats. With only minor xenos civilizations left, ones that could be dealt with by the Imperial Army, Horus declared the Great Crusade complete and The Triumph was held on Terra.

In this period of relative peace the Astartes were divided in purpose for the first time. Some chose to become administrators, many decided to garrison important worlds across the Imperium, and others became champions for Solar Infantry cohorts. For centuries this status quo remained.

When the Emperor finally emerged from the depths of the Imperial Palace and declared the start of the Webway Crusade, the Astartes were recalled back to their legions, as they once again had a crusade humanity needed them to spearhead.

Inside the Webway the Imperium quickly encountered the Aeldari, a pitiful species still trying to recover from the calamities of Old Night. Every encounter resulted in Imperial victory and within three centuries the Imperium had managed to take hold of the Webway within Segmentum Solar. Every battle it seemed more and more likely the Emperor’s visions would come to pass. A vision of a future where humanity was no longer bound by the fickle currents of the warp.

Everything changed when a massive wave of psychic energy blasted through the Webway empowering the entirety of the Asuryani species. Following this strange event, what had once been victory after victory for the legions turned into brutal decimation. It is said in the first year following this event the Astartes legions lost a third of their numbers. Upon being pushed back to the Terran Gate the Emperor declared the Webway lost and ordered a complete evacuation before sealing it.

It was at this time that the Emperor held a council with all 17 Primarchs in attendance. There the Emperor claimed that even though the dream had shattered there was still hope for humanity. The Emperor ordered the Primarchs to gather their legions most gifted Psykers and told them that He personally would train them in the art of psychic foresight, for this skill would be needed in the coming years.

The training was brutal but it turned the Psykana into a weapon to be feared by the Asuryani. If the Psykana foresaw an attack from the Webway was coming, the closest legion would be sent to intercept the threat for only their fleets were fast enough to make it in time. For ten thousand years this battle of the seers has continued and countless trillions have perished.

It is believed by the nameless masses of the Imperium that eventually the Legiones Astartes will grow large enough to once more take the war into the Webway and exterminate the vile Asuryani once and for all. Perhaps that is what the Emperor Himself intends, but for now the Long War continues.

 

 

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I see the view numbers for this page go up every time I check it so I assume people are reading this, I'd really love some feedback even if that's just to tell me that this idea sucks and I should stop writing. Please give comments and criticism.

Edited February 8, 2022 by WolfLogic

[Brother Lunkhead]

I find it difficult to write about an Imperium that follows the Imperial Truth as so many common sayings are rooted in religion. I rewrote the last paragraph about 10 times trying to leave out the "be damned" part as that has religious connotations but couldn't think of a better way to say it. To anybody who sees this please tell me what you think. I've been working on this for a couple days and think it turned out alright but I'm no writer so it could obviously be better. Thanks

You shouldn't worry about this If you've read any of the early Horus Heresy novels (specifically, Horus Rising) you'll note that even Astartes speak of the Emperor in religious terms, even those totally invested in the Imperial Truth.

 

Still finding this all very interesting, BUT there is still an elephant in the room here. Quoting myself:

 

The Eldar fall to chaos is going to be a key story point to consider carefully:

• Given their previous experience with chaos (Fleeing from Slaanesh), how were they persuaded to turn?
• What sort of pact did they engage in with chaos to avoid obliteration by Slaanesh?
• Do the Eldar maintain strict control of the webway infrastructure to prevent chaos swarming in, as is their want?

Until you address this, there can be no Eldar fall to chaos without them being totally obliterated by Slaanesh, who all their souls are tied to. Off the top I can only think of a couple of ways to do this. 

1. Some sort of agreement amongst the chaos gods to spare the souls of the Eldar... and I can't think of one good reason Slaanesh would do this.
2. Rewrite the history of the Eldar whereby they never become corrupt to the point of creating Slaanesh. But that also brings with it a big bucket of other problems to solve.

Glad I could help here  

[Brother Lunkhead]

Forgive the double post, but I feel the need to qualify my points here.

 

First, I'm in no way suggesting that either rewriting Eldar history or Slaanesh negotiating some change in plan are some sort of things you shouldn't do. Obviously, an alternate timeline is a rewrite of lore anyway. I'm just pointing out that it's going to be challenging as any worthwhile project is. My main point is that this is going to be a foundational story on which you are building your lore, and if you are going to build a compelling story, your foundation needs to be solid. Therefore, the foundation should probably be built first, before continuing on with other details, even if it's a lot of work and doesn't seem as much fun as other points. If you do this, you'll find that the bulk of your story will flow easier and will be more compelling to readers. I've observed that the biggest pitfall of alternate timeline stories like this has been a failure to build a solid foundation. Without that, everything that follows looks contrived.

 

My two points on Slaanesh negotiating with the other chaos gods and rewriting Eldar history, are just two ideas off the top of my head. Perhaps you and/or others have more ideas. The key point is Slaanesh's hold on Eldar souls. Without resolving this point, there can be no consideration of an alliance or any compromise with chaos.

[WolfLogic]

Forgive the double post, but I feel the need to qualify my points here.

 

First, I'm in no way suggesting that either rewriting Eldar history or Slaanesh negotiating some change in plan are some sort of things you shouldn't do. Obviously, an alternate timeline is a rewrite of lore anyway. I'm just pointing out that it's going to be challenging as any worthwhile project is. My main point is that this is going to be a foundational story on which you are building your lore, and if you are going to build a compelling story, your foundation needs to be solid. Therefore, the foundation should probably be built first, before continuing on with other details, even if it's a lot of work and doesn't seem as much fun as other points. If you do this, you'll find that the bulk of your story will flow easier and will be more compelling to readers. I've observed that the biggest pitfall of alternate timeline stories like this has been a failure to build a solid foundation. Without that, everything that follows looks contrived.

 

My two points on Slaanesh negotiating with the other chaos gods and rewriting Eldar history, are just two ideas off the top of my head. Perhaps you and/or others have more ideas. The key point is Slaanesh's hold on Eldar souls. Without resolving this point, there can be no consideration of an alliance or any compromise with chaos.

I think I have a plan to address this issue in my next post which will be the Eldar faction post. It will involve Slaanesh being a planned birth and Chaos being self destructive but not self destructive enough to wipe itself out. You might be able to work out what I'm going for there but idk if that's enough information. Either way it should be more clear once the faction summary is posted which I'm hoping will be in about two weeks or so. I'm rather busy right now or it'd be out sooner.

[WolfLogic]

The Orks
Believed to have been created during the War in Heaven, the Orks have plagued the galaxy for more than 60 million years. Countless species have found themselves driven extinct at first contact over those years and many more have just barely survived one onslaught only to face another soon after.

When the Great Crusade began the Emperor knew that the Imperium would encounter Orks across the galaxy and made it His goal to exterminate them at every possible opportunity. For two centuries Ork battled Man. These wars culminated in the Ullanor Crusade where the Imperial cut down Urrlak Urruk and believed the great Ork threats in the galaxy handled.

For centuries this belief held true and only token Ork threats needed to be dealt with by the Imperium as it continued to cleanse the galaxy of all xenos life. Little did the secular Imperium know that the Ork gods in the warp, Gork and Mork, had taken notice of this and were most displeased.

Across the galaxy sub-sector sized warp storms came into existence, swallowing entire worlds and cutting off all contact to the outside. As if out of nowhere, Orks began popping up and causing problems for the locals. At first they were just minor nuisances that could be defeated thanks to the Imperium’s immense fortification campaigns. However with no end of the Ork numbers in sight and cut off from all resupply the defending worlds began to fall one by one. After nearly a century of constant warfare even the last fortress worlds engulfed by the warp storms fell, the wider Imperium none the wiser.

During this century the Mekboyz had not been idle, guided by their gods they had constructed numerous Scrap Worlds throughout the galaxy. Each the host of billions of Orks, thousands of Ork Roks, and dozens of Attack Moons. At the head of each group of Orks was a savage Beast, ready to lay waste to the Imperium. As the warp storms fell Imperial citizens could only watch in horror as hundreds of worlds fell to greenskin might.

The coming centuries were not kind to the Imperium as the Mechanicum struggled to rearm the Astra Militarum and Imperial Armada fast enough to effectively combat the resurgent Ork threat.

Had the Legiones Astartes not been tied up with the Asuryani threat the Imperium might have been able to assault the Scrap Worlds and once again put an end to the Ork threat but that was not to be. Only the mortal men and women of the Imperium are available to respond to the Great Waaaghs that threaten vital worlds needed to continue the technological progression and material proliferation of the Imperium.

In the millennia since the warp storms fell, only a single Scrap World has fallen. The cause being the Psykana forseeing the creation of a Behemoth Planetcraft that would lay waste to the Imperium at a rate it would be unable to hold back. Five legions alongside billions of auxiliaries assaulted the Scrap World designated Faust and destroyed it. While this greatly reduced the Ork threat over five hundred worlds fell to Asuryani might during the Assault on Faust as their farseers foresaw they would be left undefended. Thus the cost was considered too great and such an attempt was never made again.

In the modern times of the 41st millennium it is hoped by the teeming trillions of the Imperium that eventually the Astra Militarum will grow to such a size that it could assault the Scrap Worlds on its own, such a time is still far past the horizon, for now all the Imperium can do is hold the line.

Edited February 21, 2022 by WolfLogic

[WolfLogic]

I was unhappy with the length of the Astra Militarum/Solar Infantry faction intro so in my free time I expanded it. A lot of it was rewritten in a way that I think flows better but keeps the message largely the same. I also added some information about the Triumph on Terra that is mentioned in the Basic Premise post at the top of this thread. I eventually plan to do the same with the Legiones Astartes and Orks post but for now my next goal is writing the Eldar faction intro. 

 

To give a plan of future writing by me here is a rough outline of the remaining faction intros

• Eldar
• Mechanicum
• The Imperium Itself
• Tau
• Tyranids
• Necrons

After that I plan on doing write ups on various events I have envisioned for the 41st Millenium. Let me know what you all think of the changes and the things to come. 

:)

[XeonDragon]

So.... Squats are still a thing, right? :)

[WolfLogic]

So.... Squats are still a thing, right?

I see no reason they necessarily wouldn't be, but at the same time I came into the 40k hobby well after they had been swept aside by GW so I'm not very familiar with their lore. 

[WolfLogic]

The Eldar
The exact origins of the Eldar is shrouded in mystery, the only thing known for sure is that they took part in the War in Heaven in ancient history, battling against the Necrons and their C’Tan masters. By the war’s end, only the Eldar remained whole amongst the numerous allies they had fought tooth and nail beside. The Old Ones had disappeared or died off, the Krorkian civilization was shattered, and the Rangdans reduced to a single hive. With nothing left to stand in their way, the Eldar claimed the galaxy as its rulers, and for the next 60 million years all was well. No other species held a candle to their glory.

The Eldar were benevolent rulers and protected the myriad species that had evolved in the galaxy, and they were guided by their pantheon to do so. Their gods told them to take an active approach to custodianship. During this time there were still conflicts, as strife was necessary for every species to grow. These were mostly minor conflicts however, and the Eldar would always step in if extinction was a possibility.

The only big wars were against the denizens of the warp. Birthed into existence by the calamitous War in Heaven, the three Chaos Gods were active for much of this period. Fortunately for the galaxy the Eldar and their pantheon were capable of holding the forces of the Warp in check.

Eventually a prophecy was made by one of the gods, Lileath, declaring that the Eldar people would be responsible for killing their pantheon. Asuryan, the ruler of the Eldar pantheon, declared the gods would cut off contact with the Eldar people.

At first the Eldar assumed they were being tested and continued to oversee the galaxy as they had for millions of years. After millennia of silence, they realized that the gods weren’t going to come back to them. Falling into despair, the Eldar people isolated themselves from the galaxy, leaving the myriad species to fend for themselves.

Eventually an idea was formed, if the old gods were to ignore them, then they would create a new god who would love them for all eternity. And so the Eldar began the long and arduous process of God-Forging. For millennia the Eldar dedicated their empire to spawning a new god, a god that would have an excess of love to give, unlike the old gods who withheld their love from their grieving followers.

As time went on the acts to spawn the new god became ever more extreme. Eventually the Eldar were lost to hedonism and sadism. The once noble Eldar had become proud and arrogant, and this would be their downfall. No longer paying heed to the safeguards put in place to control the God-Forging, anarchy reigned.

As a direct result of their depravity, a new Chaos God was spawned, thirsting Slaanesh. With a psychic cry that raced across the Materium, the once mighty Empire of Ten Million Suns was no more. Every Eldar not protected by a Craftworld or hidden deep in the Webway was sucked into the Warp. This explosion of psychic energy blew away the warp storms that had made interstellar travel impossible for thousands of years, allowing the Emperor to launch the Great Crusade.

The surviving Eldar were left reeling, for Slaanesh still had purchase on their souls, their civilization was ashes around them, and the Imperium took every opportunity to exterminate them. Slowly, a new civilization began to form. Based around the Port City of Commorragh, those who refused to give up their depraved ways gathered. While those who turned their back on excess gathered in vast starships called Craftworlds. These early societies would be the bedrock of the Eldar until the event known as The Empowerment.

Centuries after the Fall of the Eldar, the Imperium of Man embarked on the Webway Crusade, crushing everything that stood in its path. For decades the Eldar suffered terrible defeats and it was looking as if they faced extinction at the hands of the Imperium, having been pushed out of the Webway connecting to Segmentum Solar. It was at this time that many younger Eldar, born after the Fall, began to lose themselves to Chaos.

With the Imperial Truth successfully denying Chaos humanity’s soul and with it the means to truly damn the galaxy, the gods of Chaos needed a new target to make their puppets. A unified Imperium is anathema to the ruin Chaos wreaks across the galaxy, and thus, a bargain between the Chaos Gods was struck. Slaanesh would loosen its hold on Eldar souls, and Chaos Undivided would empower the Eldar with the goal of fracturing the Imperium, bringing damnation for all.

With Chaos offering a way to fend off the Imperium, a grand council was called. All of the most important, and still living, Eldar gathered in Commorragh. Farseers came from their Craftworlds, Solitaires came from the Black Library, and the kings and queens of Commorragh temporarily set aside their differences for the duration of the Grand Council of the Eldar.

The debate lasted for months, and hostilities grew with each passing day. To the younger Eldar not accepting the ways of Chaos and preventing their species extinction was the height of foolishness. The older and wiser Eldar repeatedly tried to caution them against this course of action, remembering the horrific events of The Fall and the wars against the warp that took place before it.

After endless debates and stalling a small group of younger Eldar decided that a decision needed to be made soon or else there wouldn’t be a people for the Council to rule over. This group set about assassinating the most stubborn and oldest Eldar.

With the dissenting voices against embracing Chaos greatly lessened, a decision was made. The Eldar would fall to Chaos if it meant avoiding extinction.

Immediately after the decision was made and the pact with Chaos formulated, an enormous surge of psychic energy raced across the Webway, empowering and informing all those Eldar who it touched of the pact.

With their newfound power, the Eldar obliterated the Imperium at contact and quickly pushed them back to the Terran Gate. How the Emperor managed to seal the gate shut is unknown, but it’s the only thing that prevented Terra from falling.

With their primary target unassailable, the Eldar used the many other portals out of the Webway to attack Imperial worlds. For the past ten thousand years the Eldar has tried to break the Imperium and several times they have come close. The Eldar grow more vicious with every passing day, knowing that the Necrons are reawakening. The chance of an alliance between the Imperium and the Necrons is too terrible for the Eldar to consider. Nevertheless, for the foreseeable future Eldar attacks are imminent and the Imperium stands strong before them.

Edited March 4, 2022 by WolfLogic

[WolfLogic]

Mechanicum

Led by the Fabricator General at the head of the Martian Parliament, the Mechanicum is the second head of the Imperium. Tasked with recovering Mankind's lost STCs, relearning technologies from the Dark Age of Technology, supplying the Imperium, and many other lesser duties, the Mechanicum is regarded by many to be tied for the most important organization in the Imperium, only the Adeptus Terra being as important to the day to day activities of the empire and its citizens. 

 

The Mechanicum owes its independence to the Treaty of Olympus signed at the dawn of the Imperium by the Emperor Himself. This treaty provides them with many exclusive privileges that has resulted in the Mechanicum being one of the least regulated and most insular organization in the Imperium. For the many Lords of the Imperium, they are content to let the Mechanicum stay a separate entity as long as they continue their given duties. As of the 41st millennium, it has been several thousand years since anyone of the High Lords of Terra has even questioned the independence of the Mechanicum. 

 

Inside the Mechanicum there are three main factions, the Conservatives, the Omnissiah's Chosen, and the Truthers. The Conservatives are those who believe the Emperor is the Omnissiah and think innovating on anything He hasn't specifically asked for is Heresy. These make up about 30% of the Mechanicum's tech priests. The Omnissiah's Chosen are those who no longer believe that the Emperor is the Omnissiah but think the Emperor was chosen by the Omnissiah to lead the Mechanicum to greatness. These make up about 30% of the Mechanicum's tech priests. The Truthers are those who believe in the Imperial Truth and no longer worship the Omnissiah. Truthers are the favored of the Emperor and make up over 35% of the Mechanicum. There are several dozen minor sects that are unique in belief or hold a combination of the beliefs of the main three factions. These remaining tech priests make up around 5% of the Mechanicum. 

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The Mechanicum began supplying arms and materials to the Great Crusade immediately. Vast armadas filled with every weapon and vehicle needed to prosecute the Great Crusade were created on the Ring of Iron around Mars and sent out into the galaxy in the form of Expeditionary Fleets. At the Great Crusades height, over ten thousand Expeditionary Fleets had been created, each numbering hundreds or thousands or ships. At the end of the Great Crusade a faction led by the Fabricator General, Kelbor-Hal, wanted to break off from the Imperium having believed for centuries that the Emperor was a deceiver. 

 

Initially the Imperium sent favored individuals in an effort to reaffirm the Treaty of Olympus as the Imperium's endeavor might have slowed but it was not over. Several Primarchs and High Lords all tried and failed to appease Kelbor-Hal and his like minded Magi, eventually leading to Malcador the Sigilite taking charge of the situation. For the next few decades Malcador espoused the bonds that had been build over the three centuries of the Great Crusade while secretly assassinating Kelbor-Hal's supporters. All of the assassinations looked like perfectly normal accidents and due to their slow pace, Kelbor-Hal was none the wiser of the noose slipping around his neck. Nearly a century after the Triumph on Terra Kelbor-Hal was assassinated ending the events known as the Long Council. The Fabricator Locum at the time was known as Kane and he was devoutly loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium, following a quick session of the Martian Parliament, Kane was nominated as the new Fabricator General. Kane was known for bringing about the Martian Trinity, the three main political ideologies that the Mechanicum would have until the 41st millennium. 

 

For the next ten thousand years, the Mechanicum stood beside the Imperium as a trusted equal. Everything started changing as the Necrons began to wake up, opening up the possibility for new alliances and for the Mechanicum the possibilty of acquiring more potent technology. 

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A bit shorter than I would have liked but I'll have time later to go back and expand it. I wanted to get this out since it's been about 2 weeks since the last update. As always please provide comments and criticism based on what you see. Thanks

Edited March 16, 2022 by WolfLogic

[WolfLogic]

The Imperium Itself
Founded in early M30 by the Emperor of Mankind, the Imperium is the most dominant power in the Milky Way.

For much of its history the Imperium has been at war. In its nascency the Emperor, His Custodes, the savage Thunder Warriors, and thousands of Imperial Army regiments waged the Unification Wars on Terra. Seeking to rid the planet of the terrible tyrants and psyker monstrosities that had come to rule humanty’s homeworld during Old Night.

Once Unity had been achieved and both Terra and Luna were under Imperial control, the Emperor met with the Martian Mechanicum and by way of the Treaty of Olympus bound the two empires together.

The Emperor then set His gaze to the stars and set out to unite the scattered masses of mankind with His legions of Astartes in a Great Crusade.

Unknown to all but the highest Imperial officers, the crusade which was to reshape the galaxy had a secondary purpose, to find the lost Primarchs, transhumans of immense power and the progenitors of the Astartes. One by one they were to be found and inducted into the Emperor’s great endeavor.

The next three centuries would be spent in a state of constant war, against human, xenos, and sometimes worse. In the end, the Imperium came out victorious and did so in a grand celebration known as the Triumph on Terra. Having destroyed almost every other significant threat in the galaxy, things were looking up for humanity.

For several centuries following the Triumph on Terra the Imperium was at peace. There were still wars as expansion and xenocide continued but these were mostly minor wars that rarely effected the core worlds.

And yet it was during this time of peace that a schism occurred within the Imperium. With the Emperor having offloaded many of the responsibilities of actually governing the Imperium to Malcador the First Lord of Terra, some populations had come to believe that Malcador was the rightful ruler of the Imperium. This wasn’t helped by the Emperor’s absence.

It was a quiet belief as many refused to voice their opinion in fear of reprisal from their fellows or even from the Emperor himself if he were to learn of their treasonous beliefs.

Nearly six centuries after His public disappearance, the Emperor finally emerged from the depths of the Imperial palace unveiling the human Webway. He announced a new crusade, led by him personally, to conquer the rest of the Webway currently in xenos hands, and to make it humanity’s new form of FTL travel and communication.

We’re all aware of how this went, with initial success and then crushing defeat. With the extremely pressing Eldar threat the Emperor delegated even more of His duties to Malcador and set Himself as the defending warlord of mankind.

The galaxy was in flames and with it the dreams of Imperial citizens hoping to live lives of peace and prosperity. Across the galaxy Aeldari warhosts emerged from Webway gates and savaged countless worlds. Only the timely intervention of the Legiones Astartes directed by the Emperor’s psychic mastery saved many of these worlds from total destruction and desecration.

Billions of Humans were taken as slaves for their new Aeldari masters, to be tormented and tortured for the rest of their lives in what would come to be know. As the Unholy Reaping. In response, Malcador ordered for immense rearmament and fortification campaigns to be undertaken across the Imperium, hoping to prevent another Reaping from being able to occur.

For the first time in it’s history the Imperium was on the back foot, being pushed back and reacting to threats rather than meeting them on its own terms.

The fortification campaigns would end up taking decades, during this period of vulnerability it was up to the brave PDF soldiers to hold the line.

It was during this era that discontent towards the Emperor and his ruling came roaring towards the forefront of Imperial society. The Imperium had been at peace for centuries until the Emperor decided it needed to war once more, and now it had turned a previously enigmatic and mostly peaceful xenos species into many citizens worst nightmares. No matter what Malcador tried to do to reassure the public and reaffirm their faith in the Emperor, the inherent trust the Imperium had enjoyed up until that point had been shattered. Eventually Malcador had to simply ignore this division for more pressing matters were at hand.

Thankfully even those who vehemently despised the Emperor for having cost them loved ones and sometimes other more selfish desires realized that a civil war was the last thing the Imperium needed with the Eldar threat looming over them. So this division in Imperial society stayed mostly peaceful with only the occasional riot breaking out.

Over the centuries many factions formed within the Imperium around these previously radical and untolerated beliefs. Among the two most noteworthy are the faction claiming Malcador was the true sovereign of mankind and that the Emperor was simply a pretender and the faction that had embraced the Emperor as a flawed man that genuinely had humanities best interests at heart.

Not every faction is as noble as these two, in the darkest corners of the Imperium individuals can be found who wish for Horus to depose his father and take over the Imperium in His stead.

Most interestingly there is a growing faction that has learned of the War in Heaven and the Necrons who fought against the vile Aeldari eons ago. These individuals wish to make an alliance with the awakening Necron dynasties and wage war against the Aeldari as they shared the same foe.

If this will lead to anything of substance is unknown but beings lurking in the shadows are watching the proceedings with great interest.

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It's been awhile since I posted anything but hopefully I'll still get some feedback on my work. Let me know of what you think about the internal strife this Imperium is facing compared to the canon one. As always I'd love to hear comments and criticism.

Edited April 21, 2022 by WolfLogic

[Moonreaper666]

I will say this even though it is unpopular the Eldar falling to Chaos gurantees' the Chaos Gods absolute victory in 30k

The Mandrake King tied Vulkan on Nocturne. With the powers of Chaos he would curbstomp then permanently kill Vulkan

The Eldar's technology would be much more advanced and much more deadly. Every Chaos Eldar soldier has Power Armor that is not only 5x tougher than Terminator Armor but also boost their speed 38x faster!

Even the most basic Chaos Eldar Warrior has a Super-Plasma Minigun which fires Enemy-Seeking Projectiles which can hit enemies from miles away!!!

Imagine the Chaos Eldar mass-producing their Titans as Daemon Engines with more Firepower and tougher Armor

Chaos Eldar not only breed like SuperRabbits but Clone/Create entire Hordes like they are nothing

Boosted by Chaos, it would take at least Three Primarchs to beat Chaos Eldrad

After Asurmen is empowered by the Monarchian Portal he would be the Emperor's equal

Even without Chaos boons, Lelith can defeat Sigismund wearing Terminator Armor. With Chaos Blessings, she is more powerful than Valdor!

Chaos Drazhar/Arha slaughters over 300 Custodes a day for his regular 'exercise'

The Chaos Eldar would have immediately started the Great Rift in 30k
Sorry, buggy Internet connection causes my reply to be posted multiple times

Edited April 23, 2022 by Brother Lunkhead
multiple posts now deleted

[WolfLogic]

This is going to be a rather short post and is purely from an Out of Universe POV, my personal notes specifically. Unlike the other posts so far which I've tried to make in the style of an Imperial historian, but I think it will add something that was missing from this story.

 

One of the things I find most tragic about 30k was how close Humanity came to succeeding in their endeavors, only to have it stripped away from them at what was essentially the final hours of the Great Crusade. I want to have that here as well but with a bit of a twist. 

 

I will say with 100% certainty that had the Emperor taken even 20 more years to study the Webway, after the centuries he spent studying and building an entrance into it, Mankind would have ascended to the sole rulers of the galaxy in due time. It wasn't Humanity that damned itself, it was the Emperor's genius. He burned too bright and with that, ended up damning His species to thousands of years of suffering. 

 

I'm pretty convinced I want this post to be here as it helps this fanfic be more parallel to canon but if you think having it hurts the story I'll delete it. 

 

As always let me know what you think.

[Moonreaper666]

This is going to be a rather short post and is purely from an Out of Universe POV, my personal notes specifically. Unlike the other posts so far which I've tried to make in the style of an Imperial historian, but I think it will add something that was missing from this story.

 

One of the things I find most tragic about 30k was how close Humanity came to succeeding in their endeavors, only to have it stripped away from them at what was essentially the final hours of the Great Crusade. I want to have that here as well but with a bit of a twist.

 

I will say with 100% certainty that had the Emperor taken even 20 more years to study the Webway, after the centuries he spent studying and building an entrance into it, Mankind would have ascended to the sole rulers of the galaxy in due time. It wasn't Humanity that damned itself, it was the Emperor's genius. He burned too bright and with that, ended up damning His species to thousands of years of suffering.

 

I'm pretty convinced I want this post to be here as it helps this fanfic be more parallel to canon but if you think having it hurts the story I'll delete it.

 

As always let me know what you think.

Nope, cause Chaos is always 10k steps AHEAD of the Emperor. They knew pretty much all the things he would do long before he thought of them.

 

The Emperor is not a God, he's mortal despite having some power

 

Master of Mankind is when he realized he never stood a chance and is forced to change his objective

 

20 years means more Chaos corruption infects the Imperium by the time the Horus Heresy starts later. Lost and Damned several times bigger, Traitor Legions have hoarded Geneseed and Equipment.

[WolfLogic]

I think your love for Chaos has made you forget several things about this fanfic. 

 

The Webway Crusade didn't begin until CENTURIES after Ullanor. Over the course of that time the Imperium was inoculated against Chaos by the Imperial Truth. When I said 20 more years would have caused the Imperium to ascend, I meant that the Dark Eldar would have fallen into civil war because of a lack of available slaves due to the Great Crusade and then the Eternal Crusade. That civil war would have prevented the Grand Council of the Asuryani from forming and deciding to fall to Chaos instead of going extinct. 

 

I haven't personally read MoM but from what I've read on r/40kLore about the novel, nothing seems to come to the conclusion that he never stood a chance in my mind. Can you post a link or quotes to the relevant passages? I won't change this fanfic as it is afterall non-canon but something like that would be pretty critical to my understanding of the heresy. 

[Moonreaper666]

I think your love for Chaos has made you forget several things about this fanfic.

 

The Webway Crusade didn't begin until CENTURIES after Ullanor. Over the course of that time the Imperium was inoculated against Chaos by the Imperial Truth. When I said 20 more years would have caused the Imperium to ascend, I meant that the Dark Eldar would have fallen into civil war because of a lack of available slaves due to the Great Crusade and then the Eternal Crusade. That civil war would have prevented the Grand Council of the Asuryani from forming and deciding to fall to Chaos instead of going extinct.

 

I haven't personally read MoM but from what I've read on r/40kLore about the novel, nothing seems to come to the conclusion that he never stood a chance in my mind. Can you post a link or quotes to the relevant passages? I won't change this fanfic as it is afterall non-canon but something like that would be pretty critical to my understanding of the heresy.

After Monarchia the Word Bearers have secretly built Cults across countless worlds

 

The Imperium wasn't innoculated, it was ignorant

 

Malcador told Dorn that the reason why he and the Emperor never told him the truth about the Warp is that it would tempt him to learn about it and be corrupted

 

Emperor failed to stop the Scattering of the Primarchs. Failed to stop the Webway Breach.

 

Failed to beat Horus on his own. Ollianius Pius is forced to use Enuncia and a Genevirus to destroy Horus.

 

Couldn't even beat an Ancient Daemon Prince on Terra. He created 'The Angel' to beat the Daemon only for his creation to decide to wipe out humanity as it sees all humans as corrupted

 

The Emperor is more pathetic than the Abrahamic 'god'

 

Meanwhile the Chaos Gods have empowered Doombreed and Gharguloth. Two normal humans turned into beings the Emperor can't kill only banish

[WolfLogic]

My very first post says "Emperor and all 18 Primarchs are alive and loyal" at the very top, I'm not sure why you're trying to argue about traitors and the like having had more time to prepare when there aren't any traitors. Horus never turned, Lorgar never turned, none of the traitors did because in this fanfiction I wanted to have a heresy-less Imperium that is in a similar position to the broken canon Imperium. 

 

You're also bringing up pure speculation as to the future of the Siege of Terra series as far as I can tell, which seems a weird thing to do. I can't see the future and so I can't have those events be relevant to my fanfiction, if they would even have been relevant in the first place. 

 

I don't want to turn away readers but from what I've seen of you on this story and your own stories I'm not sure my fanfiction is the work for you as we have such different views on the setting. I just don't think we're going to be compatible. Feel free to correct me but that's currently how I'm seeing it.