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his
section Introduces the players to the Age of the Imperium - the background
to the Warhammer 40,000 game. Whilst the rules can be used to represent
any film or book-based universe, the descriptions that follow have evolved
along with the game itself. The scene is our own galaxy, a galaxy largely
populated and dominated by humanity, although humans with very different
attitudes and expectations to our own. In addition to the countless masses
of mankind, there are intelligent alien races. Many of these are relatively
timid, easily dominated, and worthy of only a brief mention in the pages
that follow. Other races are as ambitious and ruthless as humanity itself,
and are its most bitter enemies. All of these races live within our galaxy.
Of extra-galactic races virtually nothing is known, for the distances between
the galaxies are so vast that they have so far defeated all but the most
cursory examination. The background material presented in this section of the book has been evolved during the author's games and campaigns over several years. In that time many of the races, their worlds, civilisations and attitudes have been worked out in considerable detail. Not least among these is humanity and the vastness of human controlled space known as The Imperium. Much of this information is presented here, while further material awaits publication in the form of individual game scenarios and supplements. It is for you - as gamesmasters and players - to use this information as you see fit. There is nothing to prevent you from expanding or altering the material given. In some cases this will be necessary if you are to derive the full benefit from the background, because - even within a single political body such as the Imperium - each planet has its own unique flora, fauna and distinct civilisation. Within the guidelines given you will be able to devise your own worlds, placing the stamp of your own imagination upon the game.
THE GALAXY
The galaxy contains some four hundred thousand million stars of various types. Of these only a fraction are presumed to have habitable planetary systems, and only a fraction of these have been investigated. Most are situated within the spiral anus between ten arid forty thousand light years from the galactic centre.The very size of the galaxy means that, despite the use of faster than light warp drives, most of it remains unknown. Even the human controlled Imperium, by far the largest and most widely distributed of all stellar empires, contains only a tiny fraction of the galaxy's stars. New worlds are constantly being discovered and investigated, along with their attendant civilisations, creatures and resources. Even so, there is no possibility of either humans or aliens exhausting the galaxy's potential to provide new worlds for habitation and exploitation.
WARP SPACE
Warp space is the medium through which faster-than-light spacecraft travel between the stars. It is, in a sense, an alternate reality or parallel dimension in which the laws of time and space are different from those of our own universe Movement within warp space bears a distinct relationship to distances travelled in normal space, and this relationship can be manipulated to make faster-than-light travel possible. It is not strictly true to say that distances in warp space are 'shrunk' compared to those of normal space. A more accurate analogy would be to think of warp space as a dense fluid medium which is subject to constant movement, currents, undertows, etc. This is not perceptible in warp space itself of course, because the fluidity is only relative to our own reality. A spacecraft can exploit this phenomenon by entering warp space, allowing itself to be shined along by its natural flow, and then re-entering normal space a distance away from the starting point. A metaphor commonly used to explain how warping works is that of the fast flowing stream. The stream represents warp space, moving rapidly along its motionless banks, representing real space. A leaf dropped into the water upstream will move along, floating on the surface of the water. The leaf does not move relative to the water but is merely carried by it until it lodges at some point downstream from its original location. This is a useful metaphor as far as it goes, but it must be remembered warp space is far more complex in its movements than the linear stream, for it can move in all sorts of convoluted and bewildering patterns. Spacecraft are also able to make corrective movements in warp space and can enter or leave warp space at a chosen moment. Even so, warp travel is never totally predictable. either in its duration or eventual destination.130
WARP DRIVES
A warp drive, or warp engine, is a device that enables a spacecraft to enter and leave the medium of warp space. Warp drives incorporate their own navigational units, able to briefly glimpse into warp space in order to observe its current movements. From these movements it is possible to calculate a course, any corrective manoeuvres that may have to be made whilst in warp space, and the moment to return to real space. The distance travelled in this way is called a jump, and a jump may be of 1 to 4 light years depending on the conditions prevalent in warp space. Such a journey typically takes between 1 and 6 days of real space time, contracted into 1-4 hours of perceived time for the spacecraft. A spacecraft plunged into warp space at random will travel at 1-4 light years per hour of perceived time/36 hours of real space time. Whilst in warp space a craft is isolated from real space. However, psychics are able to maintain or establish telepathic contact if they are sufficiently strong, they are human astropaths for example.It is dangerous for spacecraft to leave warpspace close to the proximity of stars. The mass of a solar body possesses a comparable mass in warp space, and acts as an irresistible attractive force to bodies near it, This makes it almost impossible to leave or re-enter normal space within a solar system without being drawn inside the sun itself. Even with the utmost care, occasional accidents do happen, and this is one of the constant dangers of warp travel. The usual practice is to aim on breaking warp space well outside a solar system and complete a journey using conventional space drives.
WARP GATES
A warp gate is a point in teal space which is linked to another point in real space by a tunnel through warp space. The tunnel somehow avoids the normal disturbances of warp space, allowing a journey to be made within a fixed time and in perfect safety. The existence of warp gates represents something of a mystery; are they a natural feature or artificial? If artificial, who or what created them and for what purpose? Some warp gates have certainly been artificially enhanced, because their entrances are delineated by mechanical constructions whose exact function can only be guessed at. Other warp gates are mere black holes in space.Warp gates occur in different sizes. They occur in the depths of space, at the boundaries of solar systems, within solar systems and even on planets. The largest are easily big enough to permit the passage of spacecraft, and are usually situated at the edge of a solar system, or amongst its outer planets. Other gates are only large enough to permit the passage of small vehicles, or perhaps human-sized creatures. These occur mostly on planet surfaces and lead directly to other gates on the surfaces of other planets. All gates are rare, the smaller types extremely so. Planetary gates are often disguised, or respond only to electrical, psychic or other signals, which would seem to indicate a certain amount of intended secrecy on the part of their builders.
All space-going races are prepared to utilise warp gates when they find them, although discovering where they lead can often be hazardous. Many gates appear to be defective, and can dump a ship randomly into warp space. Others can lead to places which may once have been stars or planets, but which are now no more than empty tracts of space. The possibility of emerging into a distant, hostile alien star empire also has to be considered. It may be that craft vanishing into warp space have been transported beyond the galaxy itself. Warp gates have the disadvantage of being pre-determined, permitting travel only within a fixed lane. They are also quite slow, taking 2D4 hours of perceived time and 2D6 days of red time to traverse distances of up to 4 light years. Most warp gates appear to be within the region of 20-30 light years apart.
WARP PORTALS
The term warp portal is often coined to differentiate these warp space/real space interfaces from warp gates. A warp portal is simply an entrance into, and exit from, warp space. It does not lead to a tunnel, and a spacecraft entering a portal is cast to the chance currents of warp space. With careful manoeuvring it may be possible to re-enter normal space using the same portal from the other side. Again, the exact nature of the portals is not understood: are they mere accidents or natural occurrences, or have they some secret purpose? Some aliens use warp portals to travel between warp space to real space, specifically the creatures known as Enslavers which live within warp space itself. Like warp gates, portals occur in all sizes and places and may appear on a planet's surface. Some have a definite physical constituent, whilst others are invisible or a mere hole in the ground.Warp portals do have their use, for there are many recorded instances of spacecraft with damaged warp drives, trapped inside warp space and doomed to destruction, suddenly locating a warp portal enabling them to return to real space.
WARP CREATURES
It has already been mentioned that the creatures known as Enslavers actually live in warp space. Enslavers are riot alone in this, arid many other creatures appear to have their natural homes in warp space. Some creatures seem comfortable in either type of space, or have limited abilities to transcend both. The linking factor between the two sorts of realities seems to be psychic, the creatures of warp space are closely associated with psychic power. Many of them actually feed on psychic energy, or the natural life-energy of living creatures, or are drawn to feed by emissions of such energy. All these creatures are a threat to the races of the galaxy, but especially to humans. Humans are not a developed psychic race; the Slann and Eldar are more likely to have psychic powers. However, humanity is undergoing a serious evolutionary change into a far more psychically capable race, and so the incidence of these powers is becoming increasingly common. To date, humans lack the ability to properly control their powers, especially as they are first developed in early adulthood. This causes profound, localised psychic disturbances, far greater than anything associated with a fully mature human psyker or any psychic alien. These disturbances attract psychically-attuned warp creatures like moths to a candle, except that these moths are often deadly carnivores, soul-feeders and highly dangerous. Using the psychic link established by the emergent psyker, many aliens are able to open up temporary warp portals and push their way into the real universe. Others are simply drawn against their will, but still cause problems once they are in real space.131
WARP STORMS
Warp space is an extremely volatile medium, and can represent a Dangerous one for spacecraft within it. Occasionally, the normal current movements of warp space become amplified into raging storms of avage and destructive ferocity. Such storms may last for only a few ,foments, or they may last for many years. At best, a warp storm might throw a ship off course or delay it, at worst a warp storm can make warp travel impossible in some parts of the galaxy. Storms are constantly forming and dying down, at any time at least 10% of the galaxy's solar systems will be inaccessible because of storms. Half of these systems are cut off for less than a year, but many remain isolated for many years or even centuries. Indeed, some systems have always been isolated, and show no sign of becoming otherwise.
THE HUMAN NAVIGATOR
Unlike the closely packed empires of other races, the Imperium is flung wide across the entire galaxy, its worlds are often hundreds if not thousands of light years distant. Normally it would be impossible to maintain such a vast area of space as a single political entity. What makes it possible to do so is the existence of human navigators. Navigators are a sub?species of humanity some of whom resemble humans so closely that they are indistinguishable, others are so physically alien that the relationship is hardly apparent. All navigators are capable of entering a trance-like dream state in which they are able to mentally steer a spacecraft through the medium of warp space.Under the intuitive guidance of the navigator, a ship is able to traverse distances of tens of thousands of light years in a single jump. Perceived journey time is 1-4 days per thousand light years, equivalent to 1?6 months of real time. Even so, a journey from one edge of the galaxy to the other would take between 85 and 510 months of real time. For these reasons, worlds remain self?governing even within the Imperium.
THE ASTRONOMICAN
In order to guide their spacecraft through warp space, navigators require a signal to steer by; a sort of real space reference point which can be perceived from warp space. As only psychic signals penetrate both real and warp space, this signal has to be a psychic one. Some psychics are capable of broadcasting a short range signal of this type (10 light years) but the principal signal is centered upon Earth and is called the Astronomican. Further details about the Astronomican and the psykers who maintain it (the Adeptus Astronomica) are discussed later. For the moment it is only important to bear in mind that the Astronomican permits navigators to utilise their powers. The range of the Astronomican is far greater than 10 light years although it is not infinite. Warp storm activity can also affect the total range, but about 50 thousand light years is the usual distance. As the galaxy has a diameter of about 85 thousand light years, with Earth approximately 30 thousand light years from the centre in the galactic west, this means that the Astronomican does not cover the eastern fringe of the galaxy at all. The Astronomican marks the effective boundaries of human space: human groups existing beyond it are rare, isolated and comprise an unknown quantity.132