Chapter 11 - Rough Guide to the Galaxy ====================================== A gentle introduction to the Warhammer 40,000 background 11.1 Introduction =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Warhammer 40,000 is a science-fiction roleplaying game set in the far future. It is the 40th millenium, the Imperium of mankind is under attack from all sides and, as if that weren't bad enough, threatening to come apart from the inside. The alien Eldar stage seemingly random attacks on planets of the Imperium for reasons unknown, the warlike Orks seek to overcome all planets they come across in the green tide, Tyranid hive fleets ravage the Imperium for fresh genetic stock and Chaos oozes insidiously from the vents in reality known as the Maelstrom and the Eye of Terror. Against this backdrop mankind struggles to come to terms with it's own evolution as a psychic race, equally under attack by Chaos from within, every psyker a possible doorway for the demonic denizens of the Warp to invade reality. Some of the above paragraph may not mean overmuch to you yet. Read the rest of the chapter, get an overview, and then come back and read the above again. It should make more sense. 11.1 The Imperium =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Imperium is the vast organisation that governs the Human Galaxy of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It spans countless Light Years, can muster vast armies from its millions of worlds, and has ruled most of the Galaxy for millennia. This chapter could very easily be filled with a discussion of the Imperium. But that would be wrong. For a detailed discussion of the Imperium, its origins, and its history, please see the Imperium chapter. Suffice to say here that The Imperium of Mankind is vast, yet hovers on the brink of destruction. For mankind, it is constant war. The war to survive, and continued survival the reward of each victory. 11.2 Alien Races =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= When mankind colonised the galaxy, he found races already ancient in history. The warlike Orks were already there, as were the enigmatic Eldar. Other alien races were to develop from mankind itself: Squats, Halflings and Ogryns. 11.2.1 The Eldar ----------------- The Eldar are an enigmatic alien race, physically similar to man, but far more lithe and graceful and superior in many mental respects. They are physically weaker, but make up for that lack by speed and agility. Long ago, a great catastrophe befell the Eldar, the events of which they will not tell to any other race. They refer to it simply as the Fall. Now they live on Craftworlds, great spacecraft that move at sublight speed through the galaxy. The Eldar are masters of psychic energy, a technology they wield as easily as humans do electricity. Some live on planets, the Exodite Worlds, as farmers and breeders of the lizards known as Megadons. The Eldar are an enigma to man. They strike seemingly at random against Imperial worlds and outposts. In fact their attacks are not random, but quite carefully planned... though not by any malignant mind. For the Eldar, these are the events that must transpire for the race of Eldar to survive. Their seemingly random attacks are anything but. But things aren't quite that simple. There are other Eldar, distant cousins of the Craftworld and Exodite Eldar, who appear to revel in pain and suffering. They make attacks whose dual purpose goal is to plunder and take as many captives as possible back to wherefrom they came (whereever that is - noone seems to know...). Survivors and escapees from these Dark Eldar tell of the incredible pain and torture inflicted on them by these alien raiders. And the Imperium doesn't know what to think of the Eldar. Viewed as a whole, a race of enigmatic aliens who make seemingly random attacks, often carrying off captives to be tortured in some place noone knows. No wonder the Imperium is suspicious of them. 11.2.2 The Orks ---------------- Also established in the stars when man colonised the galaxy was the race of the Orks. Orks are a warlike race, organised (if such is the right word) into feudal warbands. The Orks believe themselves to be what remains of a once great civilisation once ruled over by creatures Orks call the Brain Boyz, who used Orks and their smaller cousins, Gretchin, as rank and file troops and servants. The Tech-adepts of Mars believe detailed knowledge of technology to be, quite literally, in certain Orks' genes. If it were otherwise the race would be unable to maintain the level of technology it does. 11.2.3 Squats -------------- In the middle of the galaxy lies a small crossover of Warp and real space called the Maelstrom. Humans colonised the high gravity worlds around the Maelstrom that were rich in ores. These worlds were trapped in great warp storms for a long time, cut off from the rest of humanity for millenia. When the storms finally abated, humanity on these worlds had taken a very different evolutionary route. They had adapted to the worlds, far shorter, stronger and stockier than other humans. In fact, they were changed enough to be called a different race. From this point on, the worlds were known as the Squat Homeworlds. Squats are well adapted to their high gravity planets. They are a proud race, blunt and slow to forgive a slight. They also maintain a high level of technology. Unlike humanities Tech-adepts of Mars, however, they do not see it as any sort of cult. Where the Tech-Priests of Mars rever the cult of the Machine God, the Squats see humans as superstitious fools and take a much more down to earth view of their technology. 11.2.4 Halflings ----------------- Small genetic mutations are common in humanity. The mutation that makes a human psyker is one of the most common. Another common one is that which makes the Halflings what they are. Halflings are small, about the size of a human child even when adult. Unlike Squats, they are not strong and stocky, but quick and light. Halflings (as they call themselves) are known by a number of diminutive names by other races, the most common of which among humanity is Ratlings. Halflings make poor fighters, but have a knack for sharpshooting, to which end they are recruited into the Imperial Guard. 11.2.5 Ogryns -------------- Just as the Halfling mutation makes them small, so the mutation of the Ogryns makes them large and, typically, more than a little dim-witted. They are almost the ideal warrior: large, tenacious and follow orders to the letter. The only problem is their limited intellect, but they can remember simple orders well enough. 11.3 Chaos and the Warp =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Warpspace is an alternate dimension composed of energy as opposed to the physical space of the material universe. There are dangers within the Warp which can wreck spacecraft and carry them off course, unexpected turbulence, Warp storms, and loops that can trap a ship for eternity. Every day spaceships race through Warpspace, braving the storms and currents of energy to maintain the fragile Imperium of mankind. Only the most senior functionaries of the Imperium are aware of the true nature of the Warp, and even these wise and learned men realise that their understanding is severely limited. The Warp is an alternate dimension that coexists with the material universe. Though it is formed from pure energy, it too has its inhabitants, voracious beings who would consume the material universe to feed their hunger. There are points where the material universe and the Warp cross over, giving its' denizens access to the mortal world, but most are well known physical locations like the Maelstrom and Eye of Terror. Far more insidious are the embryonic gateways that lurk in the minds of every psyker. Some know the Warp as the Void, the Empyrean Realm, the Immaterium or the Realm of Chaos, for it is here that the dark gods of Chaos hold their court and exercise their absolute, unbridled power over their innumerable subjects as the whim takes them. Others know it as the Sea of Souls and these perhaps understand it best of all, for every creature in the material universe also has an existence in the warp, a spirit-self or soul. With the death of its physical body, the soul of a mortal creature is cast adrift in the limitless sea of energy. Eventually the souls of all but the strongest are drawn to the Chaos gods to feed their lusts. Besides the Chaos Powers, there are countless denizens of the Warp ready to feed on humanity, especially human psykers. But Astral Hounds, Spectres, Psychoneiun and Enslavers are the least of psykers' troubles. Every psyker is a doorway for a Chaos daemon into real space. As a result, control and suppression of psykers is the primary role of the Inquisition. 11.4 Tyranids =-=-=-=-=-=-=- Relatively recently, a new race has appeared in the galaxy. All Tyranids are in fact part of a Hive Mind, existing only to harvest new genetic material and wipe out all other life. It is believed the Tyranids exhausted the supply of genetic material in their own galaxy, and travelled across space to harvest that of this galaxy. The Tyranid forces are yet another foe mankind must face for the constant battle for survival in the stars. 11.5 Necrons =-=-=-=-=-=-= Recently, another alien race has once again made its presence known. What is known of the race known as the Necrons, or Necrontyr, is that they were once a great civilisation, highly advanced. But something catastrophic happened, something that forced them to transplant their minds to electronic storage, to take up inorganic bodies. The race hid itself beneath the surface of countless planets, going into hibernation until the cataclysm had passed. Now human re-exploration has caused scattered clusters of Necrons to become active once again. It is not known what the Necrons want, but they strive to achieve it by attacking isolated human planets and settlements, either killing or capturing all defenders. Imperial investigation into the Necron threat is still ongoing.