The Immaterium (also referred to as the Empyrean or Warp) is an alternate dimension in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. Example of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures Warhammer 40,000 (informally known as Warhammer 40K or just 40K) is a science fiction tabletop miniature wargame, produced by the British gaming company Games Workshop. ...

Superficially, it is the Warhammer 40,000 solution to the problem of faster than light travel, an equivalent to the Star Wars Universe's hyperspace. This is achieved by the Immaterium being a domain of pure energy, with spacecraft navigating between streams, as in an ocean. Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light. ... Star Wars began with a 13-page treatment for a space adventure movie which George Lucas drafted in 1973, inspired from multiple myths and classic stories. ... In science fiction, hyperspace is any region of space co-existing with our own universe (in some cases displaced in an extra spatial dimension) which may be entered using some sort of energy field or space-altering method. ...

The energy that makes up the Immaterium is believed to be the direct result of sentience. Considered to be a dark reflection of the material universe, it is an ocean of chaos, raw emotion given form. Stirred by emotion and action, the Immaterium is the realm of Chaos, home to the dark gods and their followers. It also houses the spirits of the dead, and therefore can be considered the "Hell" of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. In Games Workshops Warhammer 40000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities which live in The Warp, composed mostly of Daemons, but also includes those mortals who have thrown in their lot with the daemons, ranging from simple peasants and/or laborers, to wizards...

Warp Travel

The realm of the Immaterium, while not ideal, is able to be used for faster-than-light communication and travel. Vast amounts of energy are required for a vessel to enter the Immaterium, and while within it, they are often at the mercy of the currents and eddies that make up the dimension.

Time also proceeds a great deal slower in the Warp than in the material universe, creating a form of stasis. While to external observers, journeys can take months or even years, to the crew and passengers only weeks seem to pass. The timing itself is unpredictable due to the very nature of the Immaterium, and on several occasions a fleet of reinforcements will emerge from the Immaterium to find that the war they were sent to fight in has long been lost. The term stasis has several meanings: A state of stabilty, in which all forces are equal and opposing, therefore they cancel out each other. ...

Necessities of Warp Travel

Several things are necessary for travel within the Immaterium. Primary among these is the ancient device known as a Geller Field, a psychic ward that protects the starship. Without this arcane techno-magic, the souls of those travelling within the Warp would be exposed to the many daemons and creatures that inhabit the twisted realm (a concept fully utilized in the sci-fi movie Event Horizon and later in the computer game Doom 3 to some extent). Event Horizon is a 1997 science fiction and horror film. ... Doom 3 is a sci-fi horror first-person shooter computer game developed by id Software and published by Activision. ...

For jumps any longer than a handful of light-years, a member of the mutant psyker breed known as Navigators must be aboard. These mutant humans are able to 'see' the currents of the Immaterium, and are able to guide a ship to its intended destination with much greater accuracy than normal humans. However, for a Navigator to fulfil this role, he needs a reference point, which is provided by the Astronomican. The Astronomican is a ten-thousand strong choir of psychic individuals, slowly drained of their psychic energies to power the Beacon of the Astronomican, which is in turn guided by the will of the Emperor of Mankind. Psykers are individuals with psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. ... In the 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. ... The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire that contains the majority of humanity, set in the Warhammer 40K universe created by Games Workshop. ...

Dangers of Warp Travel

The Immaterium is far from being a safe place to travel through. Great currents and storms can blow starships into uncharted areas of the galaxy and make travel through certain regions impossible. Warp Storms that last for centuries can isolate sectors and leave fleets becalmed within the material universe. Even worse, ships could find themselves becalmed within the Immaterium itself, a terrible fate for its passengers as they become playthings for the dark creatures that inhabit that diabolical realm. Sometimes a ship will emerge from warp space centuries after they left yet only have experienced a few days onboard, while many more vanish without trace.

The Realm of Chaos

The powers of Chaos and their servants are known to inhabit the Immaterium. Daemons are only able to exist within the Immaterium, unless certain conditions are met within the material realm. The Immaterium is where the servants of the four Dark Gods (Khorne, the Blood God, Slaanesh, the Dark Prince, Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate, and Nurgle, the Lord of Decay) gain their power from, and their followers will undertake any action to increase this power. In Games Workshops Warhammer 40000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities which live in The Warp, composed mostly of Daemons, but also includes those mortals who have thrown in their lot with the daemons, ranging from simple peasants and/or laborers, to wizards...

Along with the powers of Chaos, the Immaterium is inhabited by many strange creatures, foremost among these being the species known as Enslavers. They are formed by the shifting energies of the Warp from the nightmares of sentient species, and prowl the Immaterium like sharks. They come in many forms, but all are mindless, and all are predatory, seeking out unprotected souls to feed on. The Enslavers are a race of aliens that inhabit the Immaterium. ...

The Psychic Realm

The Immaterium is a dimension of the spiritual, created and influenced by mortal emotion and action. The mind of every sentient creature leaves an imprint within the Immaterium, and although the signature of one mind is almost indistinguishable, when the imprints of an entire race are combined they have a huge impact on the very nature of the Warp. (This seems to imply that the Immaterium is not chaotic by nature, but has been made so by the chaos and war in the material realm) When an emotion or faith grows strong enough, it becomes one of the denizens of the Warp. Many of these beings vanish when the emotion that creates them passes, but the strongest become self-perpetuating, spreading the thoughts and events that grant them form and power. The strongest of these beings become the gods associated with a group, and almost every single race or force of will is represented, be they Chaos, Eldar, Ork, or Human. In Games Workshops Warhammer 40000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities which live in The Warp, composed mostly of Daemons, but also includes those mortals who have thrown in their lot with the daemons, ranging from simple peasants and/or laborers, to wizards... In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar are a race of elf-like humanoids, the most ancient and advanced in the games history, with the exception of the Necrons and their Ctan masters. ... Orks are the equivalent to Warhammer Fantasy orcs in Warhammer 40,000 (Warhammer 40K for short), another wargame produced by Games Workshop. ...

Psykers

The abilities of psychically gifted individuals known as psykers are powered by the energies of the Warp, and when such action is undertaken, the daemons and creatures of the Immaterium are drawn to the psyker's mind like moths to a flame. Those trained in the use of the psychic arts are able to resist such incursion to a degree, but the greatest fear of the Inquisition is the fact that an untrained psyker of sufficient power can become the target of daemonic possession. Psykers are individuals with psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. ... The Inquisition (formally The Holy Orders of the Emperors Inquisitors) is a secret organisation in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. ...

Warp/Realspace Overlays

On rare occasion, the realm of the Immaterium is able to break over into the physical universe. These nightmare realms are often home to the once-mortal followers of the Powers of Chaos, and are often the site of titanic atrocities. In Games Workshops Warhammer 40000 and Warhammer Fantasy fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often malevolent entities which live in The Warp, composed mostly of Daemons, but also includes those mortals who have thrown in their lot with the daemons, ranging from simple peasants and/or laborers, to wizards...

The most well known overlay is the Eye of Terror, created when the Eldar inadvertently caused the creation of Slaanesh, and now home to the traitorous Chaos Space Marine Legions and their followers. Other well known overlays include the Maelstrom and the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath. In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Eye of Terror is a massive rift where the Warp enters realspace. ... In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar are a race of elf-like humanoids, the most ancient and advanced in the games history, with the exception of the Necrons and their Ctan masters. ... Slaanesh is the Chaos God of Lust, Excess, Pleasure, Perfection and Hedonism in the fictional universes of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. ... Miniature of a Chaos Terminator In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Chaos Space Marines are one of the forces of Chaos. ...

Warp Storms

Regions of material space can be affected by the ebb and flow of the Immaterium. These 'warp storms' can isolate star systems and sectors from each other, by making the Imperium's normal methods of travel and communication impossible. These storms can last for any amount of time, ranging from weeks to centuries, and can occasionally break out into the material universe, creating a temporary Warp/Realspace overlay.

Controlling the Warp

There are conflicting accounts as to whether it is Tzeentch or the Emperor of Mankind which prevents the Immaterium from spilling out and completely engulfing the material universe. However, recent canon seems to imply that anti-psychic technology of the Necrons also contributes. It is also possible that the laws of physics act as a barrier. Tzeentch, in Games Workshops Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes is a god of Chaos who represents the vitality and volatility of change. ... The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire that contains the majority of humanity, set in the Warhammer 40K universe created by Games Workshop. ... In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Necrons are a mysterious race of skeletal warriors that have lain dormant in their stasis-tombs for millions of years. ...

It should also be noted that the Immaterium seems to only be relevant to the Milky Way Galaxy (although the Tyranids case poses a question), implying that it is either a unique occurrence, or that there may be other 'Warp shadows' of other galaxies. In the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, Tyranids are a swarm of aliens in many sizes and shapes. ...

A paradox of thoughts is apparent: The extra-dimensional entities of the warp are sustained by the minds and souls of living creatures within the physical world. So what would occur to the warp if all life was obliterated through the fall of the physical reality?