Warhammer 40K’s new status quo is absolutely wild

It is almost impossible to comprehend the Warhammer Universe 40,000, which includes 40 years of canonThere are many different types of game books and novels. There isn’t any one narrative; instead, this truly is a galaxy full of protagonists with their own stories, most of which are cut short when someone is eaten by a space bug, kidnapped by a sadistic space elf, or is corrupted by the extradimensional forces of Chaos.

There have been some interesting plot twists and turns in the last few years. Other key characters and the God-Emperor are emerging from stasis. Now, the galaxy is split in half with a Chaotic Maelstrom cutting across stars. Roboute Guiilliman is the new Imperium manager. He’s a stressed, sad-looking man. Roboute Guilliman, the God-Emperor, has even managed to rally enough power to torch Nurgle, Chaos God of decay and rot. How did this happen, and what do they mean for 40K?

The Emperor is Here

If there’s anything approaching a main character in 40K, the closest thing would be the Emperor of Mankind. His role is that of a carrion-lord sitting on a golden throne. A rotting carcass who is only kept alive through faith, technology, sacrifices by humans, willpower, and willpower. Even though he was a secularist at the time of his death, the Imperium of Man rules the stars and worships him as a god. As the powerhouse of the cosmic lighthouse, which guides ships through the stars, if the Emperor falls, so does humanity. Through tarot cards and visions, he can communicate only briefly with humans.

This boilerplate text is commonly used to describe the setting. It’s often found as a foreword in many 40K novels.

In such times, to be man is to be amongst billions. Living under such a brutal regime is to be enslaved. These are the stories from those times. You should forget about the technology and science that can make a difference. So much of what we know has long been lost. The promise of understanding and progress is gone. There will be no peace in this dark, grim future. Peace amongst stars is impossible. There will be endless carnage, slaughter and laughter from the thirsting gods.

This is not great. Was it always so terrible?

Everyone in the family

Games Workshop

In fact, the Emperor lived more than 10,000 years before he was born. His Primarchs were his generals in his army, his extensions, and 20 of them were genetically engineered. Two were exiled in mysterious circumstances and nine others fell under the control of Chaos. (As it turns out, the Emperor is not an aspirational figure — he’s an abusive father and cruel dictator who was so terrible half his sons decided they’d rather deal with demons than continue to serve him.)

The loyalist Primarchs were largely lost — dead, vanished, or otherwise unavailable. These characters are explored in detail in the Horus Heresy novels which were published in 2006 but they remain mythical figures for the present. That changed in 2018 when Horus’ successor, Abaddon the Despoiler, came out of nowhere with the metaphorical steel chair. Abaddon the Despoiler destroyed Cadia, an Imperial world which had held back Chaos and created a Great Rift throughout the galaxy. Oh, great! Things are worse for all!

The Prodigal Son

Games Workshop

One upside to the 13th Black Crusade was the opening of Cicatrix Maledictum. This Great Rift was infused with Chaos energy from the strange realm of Warp. Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines — lovingly referred to by fans by nicknames like Bobby G or Papa Smurf — was restored from stasis. Guilliman had been put on ice thousands of years ago after an injury left him on the brink of death, but now he’s back — and he hates absolutely everything about the Imperium. He’s mad at his dad, the Emperor; he thinks this whole “God” thing is pretty messed up; and in general he would prefer the Imperium prioritized the accumulation of skulls a little less.

Guilliman has been sealed in the Armors of Fate to ensure his survival. He is considered demigod and is regarded as such by all who surround him. All the while he’s trying to figure out concerns like picking up paper with his clunky war gauntlets or finding a chair that will fit him. He also has to deal with the fact that his father’s Imperium is now split in two, with a “Dark Imperium” on the other side of the Rift that is cut off and under assault by Chaos.

Games Workshop

Guilliman is a leader of an Indomitus Crusade among the stars over the past few years to restore the Imperium. Unfortunately, he’s the only loyalist Primarch left in the setting (…for now, at least) and so his daemonic Primarch brothers will target him for their revenge. However, the Cicatrix Maledictum and 10,000 years worth of worship by trillions upon trillions of souls seems to have given the Emperor a lot of power. You can read the entire book. Godblight, Guilliman’s Primarch brother Mortarion pulled him into the Warp to slay him in Nurgle’s garden. But the Emperor was able to heal Guilliman, use him as a vessel to burn down Nurgle’s gardens, and then revive his son fully — which is a power play that we’re not used to seeing from the big guy.

Together with Boarding Actions, the Arks of Omen story seems to be laying the foundation for the next chapter. Angron will be a Daemon Primarch and star along with Abaddon, the Despoiler, and Vashtorr, the Arkifane in the Arks of Omen. Fulgrim is a Daemon Primarch from Slaanesh and appears to be active as well. On the flip side, it does look like the scene is set for other loyalist Primarchs, like the Dark Angels’ Lion El’Jonson, to return. Warhammer 40,000’s plot moves very slowly, but we might just see a big ol’ family reunion in the coming years. Like everything in 40K there are chances. SomethingThis will lead to terrible, tragic, and depressing outcomes.