40k Alternate Timeline

Brother Lunkhead · May 17, 2022

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Brother Moonreaper666, keep in mind that this is NOT your fanfic, but Brother WolfLogic's. Before posting, you need to consider the boundaries he has set and honor them. It's fine to make suggestions, observations, opinions, and the like but ultimately this is HIS 40Kverse and you must post your views within that context.

SPECIAL NOTE TO Moonreaper666

Read and respond to the PM's sent to you by the Mod Team. These are for your benefit as well as the B&C.

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Mazer Rackham · May 17, 2022

@WolfLogic: I'm in with Brother Lunkhead in that I'm a CanonMan^TM so deviation from established lore is difficult, but ideas like yours and where you're heading with it are fresh and appealing. I'm quite taken by the idea that Horus and his Lads weren't stupid and selfish, and some added guidance from the Emperor (IE getting off his duff and doing stuff) kind of saved the day.

Yet the peril from the Primordial Threat remains. Not bad at all.

I was wondering about how you and Brother Lunkhead discussed the Fall of the Eldar to Chaos, even if the fall is planned or arranged. I read the Eldar segment you posted to see how got around it, but I wasn't sure if you'd put it to bed or not.

If I may be so bold (Your game, your rules of course! :) ) maybe the fall to Slaanesh worked a little differently? The Eldar performed rituals, brought the deity into being as normal, but how about playing the power of belief against the god - perhaps when he took his first breath he did indeed come to power, but over the centuries belief or support waned, to the point where the god's rivals took advantage and relegated his power.

You could still have Commorites as a holdover to the lingering power of She Who Thirsted, holdout devotees perhaps, or the Avatar of Khaine is somehow pressed into representing Khorne instead, or the young Eldar hotheads think: "Hey, he's close enough, and the old gods are dead or don't care anyway."

Then Tzeench goes: "JUsT aS PlaNNeD!"

Just a few thoughts I had whilst reading your work.

WolfLogic · May 17, 2022

I was wondering about how you and Brother Lunkhead discussed the Fall of the Eldar to Chaos, even if the fall is planned or arranged. I read the Eldar segment you posted to see how got around it, but I wasn't sure if you'd put it to bed or not.

If I may be so bold (Your game, your rules of course! ) maybe the fall to Slaanesh worked a little differently? The Eldar performed rituals, brought the deity into being as normal, but how about playing the power of belief against the god - perhaps when he took his first breath he did indeed come to power, but over the centuries belief or support waned, to the point where the god's rivals took advantage and relegated his power.

You could still have Commorites as a holdover to the lingering power of She Who Thirsted, holdout devotees perhaps, or the Avatar of Khaine is somehow pressed into representing Khorne instead, or the young Eldar hotheads think: "Hey, he's close enough, and the old gods are dead or don't care anyway."

Then Tzeench goes: "JUsT aS PlaNNeD!"

Just a few thoughts I had whilst reading your work.

I'm aware I ramble a bit in my posts so to clear it up I'll try and lay my intentions for Slaanesh's birth out clearly.

From the start Slaanesh was a planned birth, a God who would forever love the Eldar and NEVER ignore them.

So the Eldar society went all in on love but over time the Pleasure Cults formed and that definition of love began to change.

By the time Slaanesh was born the Empire of 10 Million Suns was in total chaos (heh) with the Pleasure Cults having infiltrated every aspect of life and gone completely mad.

For 5000 years prior to Slaanesh's birth Warp Storms engulfed the galaxy

The Warp Storms were blown away by the Birth Scream of Slaanesh, thus allowing interstellar travel once more.

As the Webway Crusade began and the Eldar were at risk of extinction Slaanesh stepped in and offered an alternative, for Slaanesh couldn't forever love the eldar and always focus on them if they were extinct.

The Pact was made and the rest is history, more or less.

That's a somewhat abridged version of events but it should get my point across. If you don't find that adequate please let me know and we can do some brainstorming for when I make my second pass over the Faction Overviews after the remaining ones are finished.

Mazer Rackham · May 17, 2022

Ah, I understand. It looks fine to me how you've got it now, and it's very much in keeping with other themes in your continuity. I was just tumbling ideas out of my head.

I look forward to your refinements as you round this universe out. :)

WolfLogic · May 19, 2022

Tau
First encountered by the Imperium in early M41, the Tau are a technologically advanced xenos race located on the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy. Initially marked for extermination by the Astra Militarum, the xenocide was put on hold by order of the Emperor himself.

The Emperor had seen this species in visions of the future. Almost every vision involved the xenos fighting against a ravenous hive, that blocked out the stars and consumed entire planets. It was a threat that was unknown to Him.

After centuries of sitting on the Golden Throne, the Emperor left its care to Magnus the Red and left Terra to meet with these xenos and see if they could enlighten Him as to the origins of this Great Devourer. Upon meeting with the ruling cast, the Ethereals, He learned they had never heard of this threat. Deciding to leave and return to Terra, an ominous feeling came over the Emperor. Deciding to look into the future one last time before departing, the Emperor was struck by a horrible vision.

Endless hunger suddenly flooded against His mind and
a macroscopic image of the galaxy was played before Him. A ravenous swarm noticeable against the backdrop of the cosmos was encroaching upon the Milky Way. It would soon make landfall on the Eastern Fringe.

Realizing the true scope of this threat, and the inability of the Imperium to handle another enemy on the scale of the Chaos Eldar, the Emperor met once more with the Ethereals and offered them the chance to become a protectorate of the Imperium. Seeing the difference in scale, the Ethereals accepted in fear of being exterminated by the massive Imperium.

The deal the Emperor made goes as follows; No Crusade or Expeditionary Fleet will move against the Tau provided the Tau meet the following terms: rapidly colonize and fortify the Eastern Frimge, assist Mechanicum efforts in creating Stronghold Systems along the Eastern Fringe, and finally when a Human Crusade or Expeditionary Fleet is in the Eastern Fringe the Tau will defer strategic and tactical command to them.

Such a thing was unheard of, in its ten thousand years of history, no xenos species had ever been tolerated. Primarchs, generals, and the high lords and ladies of the Imperium were all outraged. It was only when the Emperor outlined the coming threat that the dissent quieted down. Without the threat of the Eldar, the Orks, and the exotic few xenos species still left in the galaxy, the Imperium could possibly withstand the threat of the Great Devourer. With them, the great Imperium would be overwhelmed and consumed.

The Tau would spend the remainder of the 41st millennium following through with their agreement as a protectorate of the Imperium. When the Great Devourer finally made landfall on the planet Tyran, Tau and Imperial stood side by side and battled against the newly named Tyranids.

According to the Emperor the Tyranids will likely take millennia to either exterminate or repel. Until that day comes it is up to the brave men, women, and xenos to hold the line and ensure that the Imperium can focus on the homegrown threats.

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Here is the Tau Faction Overview, there's more I can add but I wanted to get something out since it had been a couple weeks and I plan to go back over all of the Faction Overviews once I'm finished to expand and refine them. Hopefully you all like it!

Comments and criticism is as always greatly appreciated.

Edited May 19, 2022 by WolfLogic

Mazer Rackham · May 19, 2022

Tau

...Such a thing was unheard of, in its ten thousand years of history, no xenos species had ever been tolerated....

Very nice summary.

I've quoted the passage above since in the original continuity there was a human/xenos enclave called the Interex, who were too strong for the crusade forces, so they were hemmed in by the Imperium for dealing with later. Do they continue to exist in your universe?

WolfLogic · May 19, 2022

Tau

...Such a thing was unheard of, in its ten thousand years of history, no xenos species had ever been tolerated....

Very nice summary.

I've quoted the passage above since in the original continuity there was a human/xenos enclave called the Interex, who were too strong for the crusade forces, so they were hemmed in by the Imperium for dealing with later. Do they continue to exist in your universe?

Funny you should ask, I'll give you a bit of background. I started this fanfic with an idea I got from another fanfic called "Imperium Victorious. What If" In that story the Webway Crusade was a success, I thought it would be interesting to work on a setting where the crusade failed. Relating back to your question, that fanfic mentioned the Interex, I'll post the paragraph there in

"The last great rogue human civilization to fall at the hands of the Imperium was the Interex. They rejected the Imperium's genocidal and xenocidal ways, eventually leading a grand coalition of other unaffiliated empires, human and otherwise, to resist Imperial aggression. The campaign lasted five centuries and the Imperium received massive losses, but in the end the alliance fell to the combined efforts of no less that 12 legions.

This would be the final military campaign to see such numbers for a long time."

While I'd like to avoid plagiarizing the fic since it's my inspiration and that's generally bad form, I have thought about having the first Write Up after finishing the Faction Overviews to be on a war with the Imperium against the Interex.

My belief is that the Imperium during the Great Crusade was largely xenocidal to the absolute. Yes there was talk about making the Laer a protectorate but that was quickly shut down by a still loyal Fulgrim and neither the Primarchs, the Emperor, nor the generals of the Imperial Army protested. Come to think of it that'd probably get them, the generals that is, removed from their command and potentially executed. Sorry I'm kinda rambling, back to the topic.

With the xenocidal position of the Imperium the Interex is simply too deviant to be peacefully integrated. Further hindering their chances is the fact that they have large bat like ears according to Lexicanum, I'm not sure if that'd be called a mutant or an abhuman (not really studied up on the exact differences) but I can't see the Imperium accepting deviation from the Standard Human Genome and cavorting with xenos.

Tell me what you think :)

Mazer Rackham · May 19, 2022

I like it, you've obviously thought a lot about it and it works well.

The absolutist nature of the xenocides certainly makes the peace with Tau stand out as an aberration, giving it a lot more weight, as you planned. Nice.

Please don't feel you need to apologise for rambling - that's how I solve/explore narrative problems, so happy to read it.

Looks good so far!

WolfLogic · June 25, 2022

The Tyranids

The Tyranids is an extra-galactic hivemind of mind boggling size. So far the Tyranids have only been shown to have a single goal, to consume all biomass in a given galaxy before moving back into the intergalactic void in search of more biomass. Given the hiveminds immense size, Imperial Scholars estimate that the Tyranids have consumed hundred to thousands of galaxies before making their way to our galaxy. It is unknown what drew the Tyranids to the Milky Way galaxy, however now that they are here, they must be fought with extreme prejudice lest they consume our galaxy like they have so many others.

Their arrival was foreseen by the Emperor of Mankind, but the hivemind itself was not officially encountered until they made planetfall on an Mechanicum Outpost World known as Tyran, located along the Eastern Fringe. After losing contact with the world, the Mechanicum sent a fleet, only to find the world had been transformed into a Dead World and no biomass was left anywhere on the planet. Shortly after making planetfall, the Mechanicum explorers discovered a data-codex detailing the events that had occurred months prior.

The Imperium had not been idle in the time between the Emperor’s vision and the events of the Fall of Tyran. Thousands of Destroyer Fleets had been built in response to the coming threat. Armed with antimatter, melta, and rad weapons, the Destroyer Fleets were horrors reminiscent of things better left in the past of Old Night. Named Destroyer Fleets not only for their weaponry, but also for the fact that each was accompanied by a Legiones Astartes Destroyer Company, the Fleets would soon see action across the Eastern Fringe.

The Tau Protectorate itself has followed the Emperor’s plan and hundreds of systems have been fortified beyond any standard Fortress world an Imperial citizen might see in the greater Imperium. The planets themselves are manned mainly by the Tau Fire Caste with limited Ethereal presence. However around a dozen key systems are home to large formations of the Astra Militarum.

Combined with the immense fortification campaigns undertaken by the Tau along the Eastern Fringe, the Destoryer Fleets have slain the invading forces in droves.

In the decades since the Tyranid threat has been fought, the Hive tendrils coming into our galaxy have only gotten larger. Many Imperial Scholars believe that eventually the Tyranid fleets will be too large for even the Destoryer Fleets to hold back and that further build up is necessary.

What isn’t known to anyone but the highest Imperial servants is that mankind’s shipyards and orbital rings are stretched to the breaking. The constant raids of the Chaos Eldar and the massive Waaaghs of the Orks leaves the Imperium in a constant state of need for new ships. Now that this new gargantuan threat has appeared on the Imperiums borders some fear that the Imperium will be stretched too thin and that the end of mankind’s days are upon us.

To those few individuals who are aware, many believe it mankinds only hope to forge an alliance with the Necrons. Based upon ancient lore it is known that they fought the Eldar and the Orks in an event known as the War in Heaven and new evidence has come to light that their long lost king has been in the void between galaxies fighting the Tyranid swarm for eons. An enemy of an enemy is your friend, right?

Edited June 25, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · June 27, 2022

Dreams Fall Apart- Military Organization

Astartes Auxilia

Legiones Astartes

Astra Militarum

Imperialis Armada

Planetae Militarum

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The Astartes Auxilia was created early in the final century of the Great Crusade, as a part of the Horus Reformations. Comprised of augmented humans it is intended to act as an auxiliary force to the Legiones Astartes. Only the most elite soldiers are allowed entry into the Astartes Auxilia and they are some of the best equipped cohorts in the Imperium.

The Legiones Astartes is the premier standing army of the Imperium. Founded at the end of the Unification Wars by the Emperor, they were to be essential in conquering the galaxy. By the end of the Great Crusade most legions had sub-sectors to recruit from, while the most numerous legions recruited from entire sectors.

The Astra Militarum was created early in the final century of the Great Crusade as a part of the Horus Reformations. Based upon the exemplary Solar Auxilia style of raising formations, these baseline humans are responsible for responding to threats throughout the galaxy and garrisoning crucial worlds of the Imperium. Well equipped and disciplined, there are few threats in the galaxy these soldier can’t handle.

The Imperialis Armada is the Imperiums main naval force that is dedicated to the defense of Imperial space and ferrying troops to combat zones. Perhaps the most simple of mankind’s warfaring organizations, every element is organized into one of the following roles: Patrol Fleets, Sector Fleets, Cluster Fleets, Segmentum Fleets, and Escort Fleets with only a few rare exceptions not conforming.

The Planetae Militarum replaced the Imperialis Miltia as the organization responsible for garrisoning the worlds of the Imperium. Created by order of the Emperor in preparation for the Webway Crusade, the Planetae Militarum was much more standardized and well equipped than its predecessor. Comprised of baseline humans, these soldier are willing to do whatever it takes to defend their homeworld.

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So as you may have noticed, I've come up with a title for this fic, Dreams Fall Apart, which probably sounds a lot better than 40k Alternate Timeline but since that's been the title for so long now I'll only use DFA internally. This was a quick summary of the main armed forces of the Imperium, with only the Talons of the Emperor and the Mechanicum forces being excluded. Hopefully you like these short summaries and writeups while I work on the Necrons Faction Overview. Either way, let me know what you think, comments and criticism is always welcome. I just ask that if you disagree you give me more detail on why that is.

Edited June 27, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · June 28, 2022

Dreams Fall Apart- Great Crusade

From humanity’s homeworld emerged the Emperor of Mankind, He who swept aside the terrible tyrants and psyker monstrosities that had come to rule Terra during Old Night. After the conquest of Terra and Luna in the Unification Wars, and the tentative peace with Mars through the Treaty of Olympus, He turned His gaze to the stars, and set out to unite the scattered masses of mankind with His legions of Space Marines.

The Great Crusade marked the end of the Age of Strife. The end to darkness, anarchy, and pain. It would be the beginning of a new golden age for mankind.

Unknown to most, the crusade which was to reshape the face of the galaxy had a secondary purpose, to find the lost Primarchs, transhumans of immense power and the progenitors of the Space Marines. One by one they were to be found and inducted into the Emperor’s great endeavor, willingly or otherwise.

And so the march of the newly founded Imperium of Man began, only hampered by the teeming Ork hordes and the horrific Rangdans, both would be 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 then 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 a long time.

The Great Crusade continued undaunted, crushing all those who dared stand in its way, including thousands of myriad xeno species, and even rogue human civilisations, who had the temerity to oppose the Imperium’s righteous cause.

Several years after Ullanor, Horus encountered an advanced Human civilization known at the Interex, and although they were abhumans, Horus was taken with them. Another human civilization that has endured the horrors of Old Night, and with such different policies than the Imperium. For months Horus courted the Interex, telling them about the Emperor’s Great Work and all He had accomplished in humanities name. This peace and supposed brotherhood would not last.

In secret the Interex had been horrified by the atrocities committed by the Imperium and had sent out a chosen few to warn the surrounding human and xenos civilizations of the coming Imperium. Under the guise of human trade ships, foreign leaders came and held council with the Interex government behind closed doors in parallel with the Warmasters visits, and in time a coalition was formed to resist Imperial aggression.

At the grand event known as the Signing of Unity that was to join Interex and Imperium as one, the Interex struck. Using what the Imperials thought were ceremonial weapons, thousands of Astartes were slain in moments and the Imperial Army nearly left headless.

Horus was left reeling, never having suffered a betrayal so great. Planet after planet fell, Imperial forces too slow to react and too weak to defend against the Coalition. The Legiones Astartes were too few to truly defend a galaxy spanning empire and the Imperial Army used to having numerical superiority, were now outnumbered and outgunned. As Horus tried to coordinate the Imperium’s military to counter Coalition attacks, he noticed Imperial forces other than the esteemed Solar Auxilia and the Legiones Astartes died in droves.

Refusing to let this traitorous Coalition bleed the Imperium dry, the Warmaster demanded no less than a reorganization and rearmament of all of the Imperium’s military. The Imperial Army would be split into the Astartes Auxilia and the Astra Militarum, each equipped, armed, and organized similarly to the Solar Auxilia of old. These so called Horus Reformations are what many now believe saved the Imperium.

After three decades of near slaughter the Imperium deployed its newly reorganized forces, Forge Worlds finally able to supply the advanced equipment in sufficient number. Quickly taking ground and surprising the Coalition with their determination and hatred, the Astra Militarum burned hundreds of worlds, many formerly Imperial, the inhabitants having been assimilated into the Coalition.

For the next eighty years Imperial and Coalition forces fought across the galaxy. Almost a million Astartes died and countless Astra Militarum formations were wiped from existence, but in the end the alliance fell to the brilliant mind of the Warmaster.

This would be the final military campaign of the Great Crusade. After the final battle on the planet where the Coalition’s leaders had hidden, Horus spoke to his brothers and the Lord Commanders of the Astartes Auxilia and the Astra Militarum, declaring the Great Crusade completed. The Aquila flag flew from the Halo Stars to the Eastern Fringe, uniting all of mankind under one banner. The myriad xenos species that had plagued mankind during Old Night had all but been destroyed.

It was a time of legend. Celebrating the end of the Great Crusade and mankind’s ascension, the Solar Triumph was held on Terra. Every Astartes legion marched the streets and millions of Astra Militarum cohorts held parades for the adoring citizens of the Imperium. Picts and videos from this event would be spread throughout the Galaxy and become some of the most famous images in human cultural memory.

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Here's another write up I have been working on, the beginning is basically ripped from the fic that inspired this fic but the Interex stuff is all mine. I'm also working on a Unification Wars and a Webway Crusade writeup that will be similar to this one and all original work. I hope you all like it and please tell me where it can be improved. Thanks a bunch for the continued views. I know many of you don't comment but I see the counter go up so at least I have that going for me.

Edited June 28, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · July 4, 2022

While the Imperium in this story is certainly not a good place to live, it's quite a bit better that the canon Imperium. I have been thinking of ways to show that and what better than some positions created in my 3rd century of the Great Crusade?

Distributed to every planet in the Imperium outside of Feral Worlds, the following three organizations were created in the final century of the Great Crusade by the order of the Council of Terra, led by Malcador the Sigilite. It was originally part of the Emperor's plan to uplift humanity back to its previous heights, but the needs of the Crusade initially put them on hold.

Departmento Compliantas

Departmento Civitas

Adeptus Schola

Under the Departmento Compliantas is three positions, Compliance Adepts, Compliance Castellans, and Compliance Scholars.

Compliance Adepts are responsible for making sure planetary governments follow through with adopting the Imperial Truth and abiding by Imperial Laws.

Compliance Castellans are in charge of training and overseeing the formation of a planets PDF and later making sure they follow the Planetae Militarum's organization and laws.

Compliance Magos are technically members of the Mechanicum that have been seconded to the Adeptus Administratum, they are responsible for making sure planets do not run afoul of the Treaty of Olympus and ensuring the transfer of all STC templates back to Mars and other major Forge Worlds.

The Departmento Civitas is primarily composed of a small Administratum branch and billions of Masonic Adepts.

Masonic Adepts are responsible for the construction and renovation of the various structures across the Imperium, from basic administration buildings to entire Hive Cities, by order of the Emperor they are to ensure that every Imperial citizen and family has a hab unit to live inside of.

The Adeptus Schola is an organization responsible for overseeing the creation and dispersal of the Imperial Schola, a public education system designed to educate all Imperial Citizen on basic necessities like how to read and write, as well as teaching sanctioned history, and job skills. It is the Emperor's hope that this organization will ensure humanity returns to the previous heights of the Dark Age of Technology.

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This post shows the brighter side of the Imperium that I don't feel like I've shown at all in this fic, I want there to be a light in the darkness, so the dark seems darker. Not everything is good of course but between this and the lack of Heretic Hunting the Imperium is a much nicer place to live.

As always please give comments and criticism. Thanks for reading!

Mazer Rackham · July 4, 2022

Your Compliance functionaries are very interesting, do they take over the duties of the Adeptus Arbites or integrate with them? They seem to be an overreaching body, such as the difference between local law enforcement and federal bodies in the United States (merely as the best known example, other countries of course have the same organisations).

I think your contrast here works well with your previously established themes.

WolfLogic · July 6, 2022

On 7/4/2022 at 2:51 PM, Mazer Rackham said:

Your Compliance functionaries are very interesting, do they take over the duties of the Adeptus Arbites or integrate with them? They seem to be an overreaching body, such as the difference between local law enforcement and federal bodies in the United States (merely as the best known example, other countries of course have the same organisations).

I think your contrast here works well with your previously established themes.

Definitely integrate with them, with the laws under their purview they have absolute authority over the Arbites but I would say the Arbites are a more powerful organization overall with the Grand Provost Marshal having a seat on the Council of Terra.

Mazer Rackham · July 7, 2022

Interesting. That could provoke some jurisdictional disputes down the line that could be developed if required, but is enough to give us functional knowledge of how order/Imperial Truth is kept in a civic capacity. I like it, a lot of stuff never bothers with the normal, average everyday way things would be handled.

Good stuff. :thumbsup:

WolfLogic · July 16, 2022

The Necrons

Supposedly ancient beyond even the Eldar and the Orks, it was the Necrons that fought them and their masters in the cataclysmic event known as the War in Heaven. Rumored to have been the aggressors in the conflict, Imperial Scholars have been unable to determine the veracity of this claim.

What is known is that the Necrons and the C’tan, translated in Gothic as Star Gods, waged war for tens or potentially hundreds of millennia against the Old Ones and their thrall races of the Eldar, Orks, K’nib, Rashan, and the Jokaero. Millions of xenos species were created and destroyed, and the galaxy was nearly culled of sapient life. At the end of the war, the Enslavers emerged from the Deep Warp, destroying the remaining Old Ones and many of the species they had sheltered. The C’tan were also greatly weakened by the lack of sapient life they required for sustenance, this weakness proving once again to Imperial citizens that these so called gods are merely pretenders. Ignorance and fear create gods, enthusiasm and deceit adorn them, and in past ages human weakness would lead to worshiping them.

Turning on their former C’tan Masters, the Necrons shattered them with horrifying weapons on unimaginable power and then retreated to their remaining worlds, determined to reemerge in a time when the galaxy was no longer ravaged by war. This Great Sleep would last for 60 million years. As any good Imperial citizen taught by the Schola would know, warfare would continue to ravage the galaxy, even all these eons later.

As they finally awaken to a changed galaxy they are met with their ancient enemies laying waste to the galaxy once more, with only the valiance of Mankind holding back the horrors. It is the hope of many after the forging of the Tau Protectorate that the Emperor will ally us with xenos once more, this time with a species that we can truly empathize with. A species that wants the monsters of the galaxy to be destroyed and to ascend to utopia.

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Here is the final Faction Overview planned for Dreams Fall Apart. It’s short yes, but that’s because these are written from an Imperial perspective and the Necrons have o ly barely began awakening. There is a few things I could add but I wanted to get this out and begin working on revising the faction overviews before I begin doing write-ups for major events like expanding the Interex Crusade, and writing about the Destruction of the Scrap World of Faust. Hope that gives you an idea where this is fic is heading and let’s you know it isn’t complete now that I have all the faction overviews out.

As always leave comments with your thoughts and criticisms. Later

Edited July 16, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · July 21, 2022

Talons of the Emperor

Anathema Psykana

The primary witch-hunting army of the Imperium, answering directly to the Emperor. Composed Soley of blanks and pariahs, these null-maidens are recruited from across the Imperium whenever and wherever they appear. Silent Sisters are armored in the latest Vratine pattern Power Armor and shielded by Refractor Fields. Typically armed with Volkites, Bolters, and Executioner Greatblades, the Anathema Psykana is easily capable of destroying psykers in droves.

Legio Custodes

The Legio Custodes is composed of alchemically augmented humans drawn primarily from the children of Terran nobles. Tasked with guarding the Emperor and the Imperial palace on Terra, their word holds absolute authority to all save the Emperor Himself. Custodes are typically armored in the finest Auramite pattern Power Armor available, shielded by Iron Halos, and armed with a mastercrafted Guardian Spear, creating an extremely potent warrior.

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Imperium

Astartes Auxilia

An auxiliary army attached to and commanded by the Legiones Astartes. Composed of lightly augmented men and women from across the Imperium, these soldiers are the anvil to the Astartes hammer. The rank and file are typically armored in Reinforced Solar pattern Void Armor, while the officers and command cadres are equipped Solar patter Power Armor. Alongside their advanced armor, the Astartes Auxilia are primarily issued Hellguns, an advanced variant of the standard issue Lasrifle that sacrifices some range for increased power and armor penetration.

Astra Militarum

The secondary standing army of the Imperium. Composed of baseline men and women from across the Imperium, these soldiers are tasked with responding to Ork Waaaghs and minor xenos incursions. The rank and file are typically armored in Solar pattern Void Armor, while the Marshal and their command section are equipped with Solar pattern Power Armor. As laid out in the Horus Reformations, the Astra Militarum is primarily issued Lasrifles, an advanced variant of the standard Lasgun that has increased range and reliability.

Imperialis Armada

Composed of millions of voidfaring warships, the Imperialis Armada is responsible for the protection of Imperial systems, the destruction of spaceborn threats, and transporting Imperial armies from theater to theater. Divided into several different types, they are, from smallest to largest, as follows: Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Grand Cruisers, Battleships, and Flagships. Favoring heavy armor and big guns, few other other navies in the galaxy can claim to have harnessed such power.

Legiones Astartes

The Legiones Astartes is the premier standing army of the Imperium. Composed of heavily augmented humans drawn from chosen worlds and sectors across the Imperium, these supersoldiers are tasked with the destruction of the Eldar species and exterminating newly discovered xenos who pose a large threat to the Imperium. The rank and file are typically armored in the latest mark of Astartes-grade Power Armor and are additionally protected by Refractor Fields, Iron Halos, and Halo Bulwarks. As laid out in the Horus Reformations, Astartes are primarily issued Volkite Chargers, an advanced and powerful weapon capable of killing droves of enemies in a single shot.

Planetae Militarum

Considered by some to be the tertiary army of the Imperium, the Planetae Militarum is in reality confined to the planets it’s armies defend. Composed of baseline humans recruited and trained locally to a galactic standard, the Planetae Militarum is the first line of defense for the planets that make up the Imperium. The rank and file are typically armored in Guardian pattern Carapace Armor, with their commanding Castellans having access to Guardian pattern Power Armor. As laid out in the Horus Reformations, the soldiers of the Planetae Militarum are primarily issued lasguns, one of the most basic and reliable weapons the Imperium has to offer.

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Mechanicum

Basilikon Astra

Composed of several million of voidfaring warships, the Basilikon Astra is responsible for the protection of Imperial Forge Worlds, prosecuting the Quest for Knowledge, and supplying material forged by the Mechanicum to the rest of the Imperium. Similarly to the Imperialis Armada the voidships are divided into several different types, they are from smallest to largest as follows: Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Grand Cruisers, Battleships, and Ark Mechanicums. Favoring extreme-ranged ordnance combined with exotic weaponry and defensive schemes, the Basilikon Astra was perhaps the most technologically advanced navy in the galaxy before the Necrons began to awaken.

Collegia Titanica

The Collegia Titanica is perhaps the most potent armed force in the galaxy. Boasting several million Titan God-Engines of all types and classes, this order is responsible for the complete annihilation of otherwise massive and potentially overwhelming xenos armies. Typically deployed in maniples of five or more God-Engines, the exact compostion varies greatly between Legios and circumstance. Armed with devastating weaponry expertly chosen for the specific deployment and heavily protected by void shields, there is little but another Titan that can hope to stand against an Imperial Titan.

Legiones Skitarii

Tasked with defending Imperial Forge Worlds till its dying breath, the Legiones Skitarii is composed of specially augmented cybernetic warriors, each sworn to a specific Forge World. Every Skitarii fights with robotic discipline and base their tactics and strategies on mathematical formulas. Each Forge World equips their Skitarii differently, so there is little in the way of standard wargear.

Taghmata Omnissiah

The crusading army of the Mechanicum, this organization is made up of several sub-factions all dating back to the days of the Great Crusade or longer. The sub-factions are as follows: the Legio Cybernetica, the Ordo Reductor, the Questor Mechanicum, and the Centurio Ordinatus. Regularly equipped with weapons far more potent and exotic than their Imperial counterparts, the Taghmata Omnissiah was perhaps the most technologically advanced army before the Necrons began to awaken.

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Here is a more complete version of an older post, the last one only had the Imperial info and didn't have any information about wargear. Hope you all like it, While advanced for 30k and especially 40k, I think an unbroken Imperium could likely field better but we don't really know what that better would be, so I decided to keep it limited to things we already know about. Of course the Halo Bulwark, Guardian pattern Power Armor, and Solar pattern Power Armor are original creations of mine but as you read above they're limited to officers and leaders of armies. The Halo Bulwark is just a better Iron Halo if you were curious.

If you're curious about the Flagship distinction for the Imperialis Armada section let me explain.

In the early Imperium there was the Gloriana-class Battleship that led the legions expeditionary fleets and a few other factions had one as well. As the Great Crusade wound down, far less ships were being lost in void combat, resulting in bigger fleets and more complicated systems of commanding those fleets. By order of Horus the Warmaster the Mechanicum was to design a new type of ship that, like the Glorianas of old, would be able to function as the flagship of the Expeditionary Fleets. What the Mechanicum created was an eighteen kilometer long fleet-killer fitted with extensive command technologies called the Paragon-class Flagship. While not as large, durable, or powerful as the Gloriana-class Battleships the Legiones Astartes used, the Paragon was still well beyond every other ship the Imperialis Armada was fielding thus far. It was also at this point that the Gloriana-class Battleship was reclassified to be known as the Gloriana-class Flagship.

Edited July 21, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · August 16, 2022

It’s been a couple weeks since I last posted so I’ll give everyone an update.

I’m soon going to start revising the Faction Overviews, this will make sure they’re all up to date with my current canon as there is definitely some early installment weirdness going on in the first couple, it should also hopefully make them longer and more richly detailed.

After those are all done, I plan on starting what will be known as “Exemplary Battles from Imperial History” based upon the “Exemplary Battles” series that GW is putting out for the HH tabletop game. The general plan for these is to write about major battles that have happened throughout Imperial history. All of which will be defining battles of their eras, having lasting impacts on the setting itself.

One such example , that I’ve mentioned before, will be the Destruction of Faust. An all out Imperial assault on an Ork Scrapworld in the process of creating a super weapon capable of causing untold destruction across the Imperium once unleashed.

Some other Exemplary Battles that are currentoy being brainstormed are:

1. The Siege of the Dark Glass Sector

(Magnus-heavy, the sector of space housing the Dark Glass comes under siege by Chaos Eldar attempting to cripple Imperial FTL and deal a death blow to the Imperium)

2. The Greenskin Assault of Iax

(Planetae Militarum-heavy, a world in Ultramar is attacked by a massive Orkish Waaagh, it must hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive)

3. The Battle of Xem-Beta 4

(Mechanicum heavy, Hive Fleet Noctis slips past the Destoryer Fleets of the Eastern Fringe and descends upon a Forge World. While caught off guard by the Hive Fleets sudden appearance and now isolated, the local Magi must prepare to unleash their most potent and exotic weaponry if they hope to survive.

WolfLogic · September 10, 2022

The Second Stone Age

By M29 Terra had devolved into a thing of nightmares. Terrible tyrants wielded terrifying weapons from an age long since past and psyker monstrosities utilizing the foul sorcery of the Warp were abundant. The populace of Terra had been ravaged by millennia of war and hate. Billions of despairing civilians enslaved by cruel masters toiled endlessly to feed furnaces of war, tens of millions of deluded soldiers fought for uncaring masters, packs of crazed killers looking to sate their twisted desires on innocent souls, men stitched together in mockery of the human form roamed between strongholds, and the crazed leftovers of the dreaded Silica Animus stalked the rad-wastes were all that was left of the once beautiful homeworld of humanity.

Humanity was running out of time and only a galaxy driven by insanity would be left if things remained unchecked. In the eyes of the man who would go on to become the Emperor, this was unacceptable. He had fought too hard throughout the previous ages to see humanity lost to the chaos and destruction that was rapidly approaching. With that in mind he began planning the Great Work, something that would guide humanity for eons and ensure its ascendance. It would be decades before He made His first moves.

Covertly gathering a group of likeminded and trustworthy individuals, the Emperor began what would culminate in the Unification Wars. Among these individuals were Malcador last of the Sigilites, Erda a fellow Perpetual and near peerless gene-wright, and Ambrosius Valdor, a general and warrior of near preternatural skill. Each was given a task to complete.

Malcador was to craft the beginnings of a government, something that hadn’t been seen on Terra in several millennia. In these early stages the government that would become known as the Imperium had to operate in secret, needing to avoid the gaze of the tyrants of Terra at this most delicate stage. Trustworthy individuals were gathered and trained in hidden bunkers across Terra so that they would be able to take up positions in the upcoming organizations. At this time the recruits were split into two groups, one that would take up the mantle of administrators and the other that would form the Imperium’s police force.

Erda gathered teams of talented scientists and put them to work in hidden laboratories across Terra. Things had slipped too far, and the upcoming global conquest would require soldiers altered at the genetic level. Gene-Wright teams would be educated by Erda herself and then left to work on developing the best mass-producible gene-crafted warriors they could. In time a template for soldiers known as the Thunder Warriors was created. After being approved by the Emperor, the template was distributed to the various teams of gene-wrights and aspirants, willing or otherwise, were delivered en-masse. Soon hundreds of Thunder Warriors were ready to wage war in the Emperor’s name.

Ambrosius, using his connections and reputation, managed to gather several million soldiers from across Terra in the lead up to the Unification Wars. These would form the heart of the newly founded Imperial Army. Regiments were divided by climate and experience making no two regiments the same. They would be stationed at key locations around Terra. Drilling constantly, the burgeoning Imperial Army practiced their craft by slaughtering the gene-crafted monstrosities and abominable intelligences that roamed too close to their muster points. As the time of the Unification Wars drew closer, every regiment was supplied with tanks, artillery, and body armor crafted by the newly allied Terrawatt Clan.

Towards the end of his preparations, Malcador discovered that Himalazia had nearly been spared from the carnage of this Age of Strife and would be an ideal location to form their budding empire.

The vast majority of the Imperium’s infrastructure and population was relocated there. The plans for the future Imperial Palace were drafted, it would be centuries before construction began but land was set aside in preparation. With the Imperium’s armies nearly ready and the Administratum and Arbites prepared, the Imperium announced itself and announced across Terra that those who came to live under the Emperor’s rule will receive a return of law and order, the arts, and advanced medical care. With the promise of freedom, and a new life, refugees flooded to Himalazia. Millions perished on the journey, but tens of millions more survived, ensuring the Great Work would continue on schedule.

This wouldn’t last, shortly after the Imperium moved out of the shadows and two decades before the start of the Unification Wars, Ambrosius and his retinue were ambushed while traveling to meet the Emperor. By the time the Emperor realized Ambrosius had been attacked and rushed to make it to his position, Ambrosius was mortally wounded, using his body to protect his infant son Constantine. With his dying breath, Ambrosius asked the Emperor to take his son and train him as a replacement. Taking Ambrosius’ words to heart, the Emperor took Valdor and returned to Himalazia.

With a spark of inspiration, the Emperor used His immense knowledge and created a template of peerless warriors modeled around Valdor known as the Custodes. The Custodes would be the bodyguards and companions of the Emperor. Alchemically changed at the cellular level, each Custodes would be a work of art, a masterpiece. The method of their creation would be shrouded in mystery and unknown to any but the Emperor. Valdor would be the first and greatest of them. Trained personally by the Emperor, Valdor was a warrior, scholar, and general without equal. He would lead the Legio Custodes as their dauntless captain.

And so the Imperium of Man was founded high on the peaks of Himalazia, the Emperor presenting Himself as a warlord more powerful than any other. With His armies of savage Thunder Warriors, the immense Imperial Army, and the peerless Legio Custodes finally ready, the Emperor psychically broadcasted a message across Terra. The Imperium was coming, for too long anarchy and strife had reigned, and none of the deserving shall be beyond His wrath.

The Unification Wars had begun.

WolfLogic · September 16, 2022

I'm struggling a lot with part 2 of the Astra Militarum Faction Overview rewrite, thankfully my issues are wording and not idea based. To get another update out I figured I'd post part 1 and then do a second update when I get done with part 2. If you're curious, part 2 deals with the Astra Militarum's history with the resurgent Ork threat.

Enough spoilers, here's part 1,

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The Astra Militarum, also known as the Solar Army, finds its roots in the venerable Solar Auxilia of the Imperial Army. 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 numbers as the Crusade progressed.

In the third and final century of the Great Crusade the Coalition War erupted. Led by a rogue human state known as the Interex, this alliance of humans and xenos violently rejected the Imperium’s genocidal and xenocidal ways. This war would come to define Imperial military doctrine for millennia to come.

Outnumbered and outgunned for the first time since it’s founding, the Imperium’s armed forces faced slaughter. As Horus the Warmaster tried to coordinate the Imperium’s military to counter Coalition attacks, it became apparent that the Solar Auxilia was one of the few effective fighting forces the Imperium had against the Interex.

It was at this time Horus demanded a complete reorganization and rearmament of the entirety of the Imperium’s armies in what would come to be known as the Horus Reformations. Split into two, the Imperial Army would become the Astartes Auxilia and the Astra Militarum and would be equipped, armed, and organized near identically to the Solar Auxilia was previously.

For most of its early history, the Astra Militarum acted as first responders and pathfinders for the besieged planets of the Imperium throughout the Coalition War. Hundreds of worlds were burned at its hands and through determination and hatred, the Interex Coalition was eventually destroyed through the combined efforts of the Legiones Astartes, Astartes Auxilia, and the Astra Militarum.

This heralded the end of the Great Crusade, and the beginning of the next step in the Emperor’s Great Work. While the Imperium had slain all the xenos species in the parts of the galaxy surrounding its worlds, there were still billions of stars left unexplored in the galaxy. Any of which could be home to vile xenos wanting nothing more than the destruction of Mankind.

For the three decades following the end of the Great Crusade, the Imperium rebuilt and recovered from the devastation wrought to it by the Interex Coalition, all the while building up its fleets and armed forces in preparation for what was to come.

Then the fated day had arrived, with over ten thousand newly built and staffed Expeditionary Fleets gathered in the Sol System, the next chapter in Imperial history was announced to the teeming masses of the Imperium. The Great Crusade was over but there was still much work that needed to be done, an Eternal Crusade would be launched to cleanse the stars of the remaining xenos and ensure mankind’s ascendance. This would be the Astra Militarum’s burden to bear as Horus claimed the Emperor had need of the Legiones Astartes elsewhere.

It was at this time that an internal division of the Astra Militarum occurred. Upon entry to the Astra Militarum a soldier was assigned the designation of Crusader or Defender. Crusaders would be the ones to carry out the Eternal Crusade while Defenders were responsible for garrisoning important Imperial worlds and responding to incursions into Imperial space. This wasn’t an even split as nearly ninety five percent were to become Crusaders. It would be millennia before the problem with this became apparent, and the mistake would result in devastation upon many Imperial worlds.

And so the Eternal Crusade began, spearheaded not by transhuman warriors, but by the everyday men and women that made up the Imperium. It was during this time that the Astra Militarum truly came into its own. A proud warrior culture had formed and it was no longer suffering the growing pains that it had endured during the Coalition War era.

For centuries the Astra Militarum scoured the galaxy, purging any xenos and absorbing the few remaining lost human worlds as they were encountered. Though each individual fleet’s rate of conquest was slower than it had been in the Great Crusade, largely due to lack of Astartes support, the tens of thousands of Expeditionary Fleets partaking in the Eternal Crusade more than made up for it.

It was around this time that the Emperor finally emerged from the depths of the Imperial Palace and announced a new crusade, led by Him personally, to conquer the Webway and make it humanity’s method of FTL travel and communication.

While the Astra Militarum was largely absent from the Webway Crusade, they would in extremely rare circumstances encounter fleeing Eldar Craftworlds. While the losses were always immense, the unfortunate Craftworlds were put to the torch by way of several Expeditionary Fleets. Many Imperial historians now believe that these Craftworlds were attempting to flee the galaxy, and the Imperium’s refusal to allow that is the reason the Eldar believed their only option was to make a pact with the denizens of the Warp to avoid extinction.

Roughly three millennia after the founding of the Imperium, nearly the entirety of the Eldar species fell to Chaos. This would shatter mankind’s dream of finishing the Emperor’s Great Work.

Called into the Webway in ever increasing numbers, the Astra Militarum attempted to halt the Eldar counterattack. Even having given over a trillion lives to stem the Eldar onslaught, the Astra Militarum was unable to hold the Imperium’s territory inside the Webway and were eventually pushed back to the Terran Gate. While trillions of soldiers managed to retreat out of the Webway before the Terran Gate was permanently sealed by the Emperor, billions more remained inside buying the Emperor the needed time to perform the necessary ritual.

Following this costly defeat, the Astra Militarum was ordered to continue the Eternal Crusade while maintaining garrisons on key worlds around the Imperium.

Edited September 16, 2022 by WolfLogic

WolfLogic · November 7, 2022

Here is the completed and revised Faction Overview for the Astra Militarum, the first part is a repost of Part 1 Revised but the latter half is completely new material. I just wanted to have a complete entry so I can link my opening post to this comment. As always comments and criticisms are welcome, please leave a comment so I know what you think. Enjoy!

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Astra Militarum Revised Faction Overview

The Astra Militarum, also known as the Solar Army, finds its roots in the venerable Solar Auxilia of 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 proven time and again, and cohorts were raised in increasing numbers as the Crusade progressed.