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The Immortal God-Emperor of Mankind is the leader of the Imperium in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the largest human organization within that universe. Worshipped as Master, Defender and Father of Mankind by the countless billions of the Imperium's citizens, he has sat immobile within the Golden Throne of Earth for ten thousand years. Although once a living man, his shattered body can no longer support life, and remains intact by a spirit itself sustained by the soul-sacrifice of countless millions. He has sacrificed his immortal life in the service of Man. The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire that contains the vast majority of humanity in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop. ...
FicTioNaL is a Gaming Legend. ...
Warhammer 40,000 (informally known as Warhammer 40K, WH40K, W40K or just 40K) is a science fantasy game produced by Games Workshop. ...
The Emperor is the object of worship in the Imperial Cult, maintained by the Adeptus Ministorum, also known as the Ecclesiarchy, whose missionaries spread his worship across the human galaxy. Only two groups within the Imperium do not adhere to the tenets of the Imperial Cult; the Adeptus Mechanicus who sometimes worship him as the Omnissiah, a multi-fold divine force that is united with their Machine God; and the Adeptus Astartes, who instead see the Emperor as a supremely gifted and talented man. In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Adeptus Ministorum, or Ecclesiarchy is a part of the government of the Imperium tasked with overseeing the worship of the God-Emperor. ...
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Adeptus Ministorum, or Ecclesiarchy is a part of the government of the Imperium tasked with overseeing the worship of the God-Emperor. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Adeptus Mechanicus is an institution of the Imperium dedicated to the preservation and restoration of science and technology. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Cult Mechanicus is the religious foundation of the Adeptus Mechanicus. ...
The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. ...
The following is a general background of his history within the world and theories introduced throughout the literature of Warhammer 40,000 about his nature. Some of the information is now in dispute, because Warhammer 40,000 has not issued complete background to draw together conflicting canonical materials or clarify which aspects of their associated fiction are correct. What is known is that the Emperor's physical body still resides in the Golden Throne and is guarded by his loyal Adeptus Custodes. The Custodian Guard, otherwise known as the Adeptes Custodes, are the Emperor of Mankinds personal guardians in the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000. ...
History of the Emperor
Early history Humanity originally was aware of the Warp and coexisted with it. There were certain gifted individuals who could sense the movements of the warp and use it for many purposes - the tribal healers, shamans, medicine men and other spiritual leaders of early humanity. These people's spirits could even flow through the Warp seamlessly after death and be reborn in new human bodies. The Immaterium (also referred to as the Empyrean or Warp) is an alternate dimension in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
However, as humanity prospered, the process of civilization severed its links with the natural forces of the warp and created new ones based upon mankind's own character. The spiritual leaders began to notice the changes as their psychic gifts diminished and their ability to reincarnate was being lost. All the Shamans of earth gathered together in one place to begin the most important debate in human history, in which it was concluded that they were doomed and that without them, the rest of humanity would fall prey to the entities it had created in the warp. They decided that they would take their own lives in order to be reborn into a single, immortal body.
Within a year after the resulting mass suicide, a child was born - the boy who would become the Emperor of Mankind. His original name is unknown, although there are some references in Warhammer 40,000 canon that he was born in the 8th millennium BC in Central Anatolia[1][2]. Mass suicide occurs when a number of people kill themselves together with one another or for the same reason and is usually connected to a real or perceived persecution. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
In the 8th millennium BC, agriculture becomes widely practiced in the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia. ...
Anatolia and Europe Anatolia (Turkish: from Greek: Ανατολία - Anatolia) is a peninsula of Western Asia which forms the greater part of the Asian portion of Turkey, as opposed to the European portion (Thrace, or traditionally Rumelia). ...
As the Emperor grew older his powers began to manifest themselves and he gradually remembered his thousands of past lives. The Emperor was aware how the extreme sides of the human character were feeding the Chaos Powers, and devoted his immortal life to promote peace and harmony, and to hold back the growth of the Chaos Powers. The Chaos Powers themselves recognized the Emperor as their greatest enemy. For thousands of years the Emperor wandered the earth, watching the human race develop. As the incarnation of the Shamans who were the spiritual guides and guardians of their people, he used his ancient wisdom and influence to help humanity where he could, adopting many guises and guiding his race along a narrow path of survival he alone could see.
The first mention of the Emperor in Imperial records occurs when he unified Terra at the end of the Age of Strife (sometime in the 30th Millennium). Mankind was spread across the galaxy, divided since the Age of Strife, and at war with itself and against invading alien races. The conquest of Earth was the start of the Emperor's broader plan of unifying all of mankind under a single banner. His use of genetically engineered warriors - the protoastartes, genowarriors, pre-Space Marines - enabled him to emerge from a warlord of techno-barbarian warriors to become Emperor of Earth. With the assistance of the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars, the Emperor armed his Space Marines and fleets of interstellar ships to carry his armies to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, beginning the Great Crusade which would create the Imperium. The following is a list of planets in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Age of Strife is the name for the chaotic period of human history between the 25th and 30th millennia. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Adeptus Mechanicus is an institution of the Imperium dedicated to the preservation and restoration of science and technology. ...
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ...
The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. ...
NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, is about 17,000 parsecs in diameter and approximately 20 million parsecs distant. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with History of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
The Primarchs The Emperor went on to create the superhuman Primarchs from his own genetic template from whom the Space Marines' gene-seed was later developed. According to Word Bearers First Chaplain Erebus, the Emperor made a pact with the Chaos Gods to scatter the Primarchs across the galaxy, so that as each one grew up on their respective worlds, they would each dominate it, so that when the Emperor would lead his Great Crusade, the conquering of certain planets had naturally been done by his sons. The truth of this claim is highly disputed, for Erebus, like the rest of his Legion, was corrupted by Chaos and actively seeks to convert others to his cause. Erebus reasons, however, that if the Emperor made them himself, "Why not make a thousand Horuses?" [3] It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: There are no third party sources. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Word Bearers are one of the twenty First Founding Legions of the Space Marines, who have turned to worship of the malevolent Chaos Gods. ...
The Great Crusade The Emperor had a grand vision: to reunite the elements of humanity who had been scattered across the galaxy and isolated from each other during the Age of Strife. In the initial years of the Great Crusade, the Emperor was at the forefront of the fighting, leading his genetically-engineered soldiers into battle. As more worlds came under the control of the fledgling Imperium of Mankind, the Emperor rediscovered the lost Primarchs, whose genetic template was used to stabilise the creation process of the Space Marines. In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Age of Strife is the name for the chaotic period of human history between the 25th and 30th millennia. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with History of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
Following the triumph at Ullanor[4] the Emperor returned to his underground laboratories on Terra to work on secret projects, including an invasion of the Webway, an entrance to which he had discovered within his mountain fastness.[5] He left his trusted 'sons', the Primarchs, in control of the Crusade, promoting the foremost of these, Horus, to the rank of Warmaster of the Imperium. Crucially he did not explain to anyone, even Horus, what he was planning to do or why he had returned to Terra; this sowed the first seeds of discontent, which would later bear deadly fruit. The following is a list of planets in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
The Webway in the Warhammer 40,000 universe is an extra-dimensional space utilized by the Eldar for faster-than-light travel. ...
Horus during the Horus Heresy Horus (also Lupercal) was one of the twenty Space Marine Primarchs, and of them, held the title Warmaster, in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
The Horus Heresy The Great Crusade came to an end with the events of the Horus Heresy, when Horus turned on the Emperor. Under Horus's leadership, nine Space Marine Legions and many Imperial Army regiments turned to Chaos and started a galactic civil war. This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...
In Games Workshops Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often stereotypically malevolent entities which live in some sort of parallel universe, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy. ...
A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ...
Even as Horus' armies laid siege to Terra, the Emperor still believed that Horus could be redeemed due to his love for his son, and he maintained this belief even as he faced Horus in single combat. Due to his unwillingness to use his full power against his surrogate son, the Emperor suffered grievous injuries at Horus's hands. As Horus stood over the Emperor's shattered body, a single guard of the Adeptus Custodes entered the room. Horus flayed him alive with a single look. The guard's death galvanised the Emperor. He saw how far Horus had fallen and that there was only one way to defeat Chaos: to kill its pawn, his beloved son. The Emperor mustered a psychic lance of unparalleled power and unleashed it upon Horus. As the Chaos gods, taking immediately to self-preservation, deserted their pawn, the Emperor sensed the return of Horus's sanity. He knew Chaos might attempt to possess Horus again, and he would not be present to stop it a second time. Driving all compassion from his mind, the Emperor called on his inner reserves, and destroyed Horus' soul.
More of this story is told in the Black Library book series, The Horus Heresy, the series' books are written by different authors. The Black Library is a section of BL Publishing (itself a division of Games Workshop) devoted to publishing novels, art books, background books and graphic novels set in the Warhammer Fantasy world and the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
For more information on the clash between the Emperor and Horus see Horus's perspective article Horus during the Horus Heresy Horus (also Lupercal) was one of the twenty Space Marine Primarchs, and of them, held the title Warmaster, in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
Present day The Emperor's broken body was discovered by Rogal Dorn who, following the Emperor's instructions, oversaw the Emperor's re-connection to the Golden Throne, an arcane device to sustain his spirit. The Emperor has remained in the Golden Throne since his 'ascension' to this day, neither fully living nor wholly dead. Although initially designed as the hub of the Emperor's project to colonise the webway, the Golden Throne also functions as a complex life support device. The Golden Throne itself lies in the Sanctum Imperialis, which is guarded by the Emperor's Custodian Guard, also known as the Adeptus Custodes[6]. The Emperor's decaying physical form is preserved by the vast machinery of the Golden Throne, which itself is maintained by tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Imperial Fists are one of the first founding Legions of Space Marines. ...
Life support, in the medical field, refers to a set of therapies for preserving a patients life when essential body systems are not functioning sufficiently to sustain life unaided. ...
The Custodian Guard, otherwise known as the Adeptes Custodes, are the Emperor of Mankinds personal guardians in the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000. ...
The Golden Throne is also connected to a massive psychic beacon known as the Astronomican, which makes faster than light travel possible by generating a signal by which Navigators are able to navigate through warp space. The Astronomican signal is directed by the Emperor, but the power behind it comes from a "choir" of ten thousand human psykers. The life force of the psykers is consumed within several months[7], which means that replacements must constantly be found and brought to Holy Terra aboard the infamous Black Ships of the Inquisition. In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Astronomican is a psychic beacon that can be seen from almost anywhere in the Warp and is vital for FTL travel since the Navigators utilize it as a reference point to reach their intended destination. ...
For other uses, see Faster than the speed of light (disambiguation). ...
Psykers are individuals with psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. ...
The Inquisition (The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisition) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
Religious aspects The Horus Heresy novels describe how the Emperor proscribed religion and demanded that his followers accept Imperial Truth - that humanity must abandon fear and superstition in favour of science and logic. The Emperor's decree is paradoxical: he claimed there were no gods, but knew of the Chaos gods' existence; he encouraged the pursuit of knowledge, but kept his 'sons', the Primarchs, in ignorance. By denying the existence of gods, perhaps the Emperor intended to weaken Chaos in the material realm. Alternatively, he may have seen the Chaos gods simply as sentient warp-beings, rather than deities. This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...
Today, "The God-Emperor of Mankind", is worshipped as an omnipresent deity by the people of the Imperium, with the exception of the Adeptus Mechanicus who worship the Omnissiah, and the Space Marines who honor rather than worship him, alongside their individual Primarchs. Belief and worship is taught and upheld by the Imperium's Ministorum; heresy is punished with death. Imperial citizens believe the Emperor guides, protects and watches over them. It is also said that all human souls shall be judged by him after their death: those worthy will be welcomed into eternal paradise and the rest will be denied salvation and lost to the warp. Some followers of the Emperor, the Space Wolves for example, believe that if they die while fighting in his name, that they will then not only accompany the Emperor in the afterlife but also be given the special honour of sitting by his side and fight beside him in the battle at the end of days. Omnipresence is defined, in a general sense, as: the ability to be present in every place at the same time; unbounded or universal presence. ...
The Emperor's mind is no longer whole, but fractured into many sub-minds. In this way the Emperor is omnipresent, able to simultaneously guide his race through the Emperor's Tarot, direct the Astronomican, grant audiences and simply survive. [1]
The opening text of the Inquisitor rulebook describes the mixed feelings that surrounded the Emperor's ascension. The Emperor had ordered his retainers to connect him to the Golden Throne: while he would never walk among his people again, his psychic powers would return in time, his Astronomican would endure, and his webway tunnel would stay closed. Many voiced concerns over the Emperor's self-imposed duty. Without the Imperium's creator to lead humanity in person, they argued, what hope did the Imperium have for survival? Had it been possible for the Emperor to return, members of the newly-formed Inquisition and the High Lords of Terra would have opposed it. They feared such an event, so soon after the Horus Heresy, could destroy the Imperium. They also were afraid of any possible changes to the Emperor resulting from his ascension. Inquisitor is a tabletop miniatures game based in Games Workshops Warhammer 40,000 Universe. ...
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the High Lords of Terra are the supreme governing body of the Imperium of Man. ...
This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...
The Star Child Theory The Star Child Theory was introduced early in the Realm of Chaos books and later in the 3rd Edition Warhammer 40,000 guide[1][7]. The Theory is not based so much on the Emperor's origin, but on the Emperor's future. Like the Thorians, those who believe in the Star Child Theory hope for the reincarnation of the Emperor[8]. Cover of Slaves to Darkness Cover of The Lost and the Damned Realm of Chaos is a two-volume publication by Games Workshop concerning the forces of Chaos. ...
The Inquisition (The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisition) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
Central to the belief is that the Emperor's soul is part of the whole Warp. After Horus rebelled and destroyed the Emperor's mortal frame, his body and soul could no longer remain as one. As his soul melted into the warp, only a tiny core of the Emperor's humanity remained whole, which was like a small child in a tiny reed boat adrift in the storm of the warp. Since the Emperor's soul survived, there was a possibility that his whole essence could be reborn once more. The Immaterium (also referred to as the Empyrean or Warp) is an alternate dimension in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...
Like the Shamans that died together to combine and form the Emperor[2], so too could the Emperor's death herald a new savior. That time would lie far in the future, when mankind's desire for a new savior would strengthen the core of the Emperor's soul and rekindle it to new life.
The soul of the Emperor adrift in the warp is the Star Child. The humans that were left in charge of the Imperium had no real understanding of what had happened to the Emperor, but some, like the Thorians, speculated on how the Emperor could be reborn. Though the Emperor's body continued to live within the Golden Throne and his mind continued to be a beacon for humanity, his soul is a god waiting to be born.
The Illuminati The Illuminati, first described in the Realm of Chaos books, are the most secret of secret societies. Each member of the brotherhood has suffered daemonic possession of their bodies and managed to purge themselves of the daemon. Sharing a mind with a daemon, they have gained the most intimate understanding of Chaos and its terrible, insidious threat. They now devote themselves to resisting Chaos in the broader universe.
The Illuminati have a special relationship with the Eldar and the Harlequin. Through their experiences they have mastered the Chaos within themselves, and as such they are the only human group allowed entry to the Black Library of the Eldar. Through their research they know the secret of the Emperor and the Star Child. Though other groups may have speculated on the true nature of the Emperor, it is the Illuminati who have actual knowledge of it[8]. They also know of the fall of the Eldar, and seek to prevent the same happening to Mankind. The Illuminati manipulate events to thwart this fate and to pave the way for the Emperor's rebirth. In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Harlequins comprise a sub-group of the Eldar race. ...
The Illuminati know that their knowledge would make them heretics in the eyes of the Inquisition, and consequently maintain a strict secrecy over their activities[1]. However, it is uncertain where they stand in the current day, because Inquisition is currently feuding over which beliefs on the nature of the Emperor could be inspired by the taint of Chaos instead of the truth. However, it seems certain that the Emperor's rebirth can only prove his true deific state, it is only the means and motives to cause such a rebirth of the Emperor that are questioned. The Inquisition (The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisition) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...
The Sensei As the Powers of the Warp have their own mortal champions, so too does the Star Child. The Star Child's champions are known as the Sensei. Although they do not necessarily know their true identity, they are actually descendants of the Emperor. Nor is the Emperor himself aware of his immortal descendants.
The Sensei have inherited great power from the Emperor. They are immortal; although they can be killed, they do not age, and possess amazing powers of recovery. They are also by their nature protected from the Chaos Powers. Because they harbor none of the emotions or concepts embodied by the Chaos Powers they are largely invisible to them, and can draw on the energies of the warp to use their psychic powers without risk of attracting daemons or other malicious forces of the warp. Due to their harmonious relationship with the warp, the Sensei are invisible to psychic senses, even to those of the Emperor.
Sensei Adventurer Bands Sensei wander throughout the galaxy. Their origins are unknown to the Inquisition, who view them as dangerous mutants and heretics. In contrast to the forces of the Imperium, Sensei are natural rebels. As well as being enemies of Chaos, Sensei are enemies of oppression. They and their followers operate as outlaw bands, and appear across the Imperium to fight against repression and injustice. As such they often come into conflict with the Imperium.
The Imperium regards the Sensei as dangerous bandits and nihilists who, if not actually in league with Chaos, are weakening the Imperium's defense against Chaos. Because of their powers and militantly anti-authority natures, they are hunted down and killed by Imperial forces, which in turn forces the Sensei to operate as outlaws. Captured Sensei can be rendered down to manufacture the negative psychic energy used in psycannon bolts. [1]
References - ^ a b c d e Priestley, Rick; and Ansell, Bryan (1990). Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-52-2.
- ^ a b Abnett, Dan (2006). Horus Rising. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-294-X.
- ^ False Gods - Graham McNeill, 2006
- ^ Abnett, Dan (2006). Horus Rising. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-294-X.
- ^ Merrett, Alan (2006). Horus Heresy – Volume IV: Visions of Death. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-340-7.
- ^ Priestley, Rick (2004). Warhammer 40,000, 4th Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-468-X.
- ^ a b Priestley, Rick (1998). Warhammer 40,000, 3rd Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-000-5.
- ^ a b Thorpe, Gav. The Thorians: Faction Sourcebook (PDF). Inquisitor Rulebook. Games Workshop. Retrieved on 2006-03-28.
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