Warhammer 40k: The Time of Ending

[Lenehen]

Not sure if this is the right forum, if it isn't tell me so I can ask a mod to move it, thanks.

If you're not familiar with the Time of Ending in the 40k universe, let me give you a rundown:

1. The unstoppable, never-ending tendrils of Tyranid hive-fleets are entering the galaxy, and the one's seen so far seem only to be a small fraction. Two more Tyrannic wars in a decade.
2.The 13th Black Crusade has been launched against the Imperium, led by Abaddon the Despoiler (also known as 'Abby' to his friends) who is an unstoppable, unkillable psychopath, hell-bent on destroying the Imperium of Man and killing the Emperor in the name of the Dark Gods.
3.The Necrons awake, and start harvesting hundreds of Imperial Worlds.
4.Various other alien cultures carve out Empires in the Imperium, including The Draxian Hegemony, the Tau Empire, the Worldweave of Noisome Reek and the Ulumèathic League.
5. And just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, The Golden Throne is dying. So the Astronomicon will extinguish and warp-travel will be impossible, not to mention that there will be more chaos intrusions into the galaxy as the Emperor's will helps hold them at bay.

So basically, unlimited amount of Tyranids attacking, Necrons attacking that can't be killed (Made of regenerative metal), Chaos who can summon limitless amounts of unkillable daemons (at best you can banish them back to the warp for a little while), Another war for Armageddon with the orks, and soon Warp-travel will be impossible as the Emperor of Mankind dies. Is it just me or does the Imperium look kinda screwed?

But the question is, will it be? Do you guys think that the Imperium will overcome these threats or will it crumble as it probably would? My theory is that the Emperor will die, for a few months/years ships will be able to use the echo of the Astronomicon to navigate by but soon it will dissappear and most systems will be cut off. Without the Imperial Guard or Imperial Navy many systems will be destroyed or conquered whilst others will rebel, to be snapped up by the invaders. Some places will remain, Macragge will be defended by the full chapter of the Ultramarines and Cadia will redouble it's efforts to fight chaos in memory of the dead Emperor.

Eventually the Imperium will largely crumble, but the invaders will be reduced to fighting one-another as their empire border and expansion on Imperial Space will slow. Meanwhile, the Illuminati (seriously) will find the Star Child and the Emperor will be reborn, and might lead another crusade to forge a new Imperium. Thoughts?

[Atelia]

I say that the imperium will prevail how well i don't quite know. As for the emperor I think a replacement will be found soon enough.

[Lenehen]

Do you think so? If you think about it, it's a bit bleak (don't get me wrong, IG forever but you can't deny the situation's depressing):

Lets look at the defenders:

Space marines: Armour-played giants who endure years of training and indoctrination, but who can still be converted to Chaos -_-
Imperial Guard: Humans, with extra-bright flashlights to shoot people with, and the Armour equivalent of ice-cream wafer. I mean come on humanity, in 39 thousand years we still aren't able to mass-produce good, effective armour. Can be converted to chaos and die easily.

Attackers:
Chaos: Can convert practically any human to chaos, as well as summon daemons to possess their weapons and fight for them, daemons who can't be killed either.
Necrons: Unkillable because they regenerate, weapons that cut through armour like butter, unknown amount of numbers that could be on any world
Tau: Weapons that make Eldar gizmo's look like they were built by orks
Tyranids: Only just starting to see the first glimpse of Tyranids, but hundreds of worlds have already fallen to them.
+Others

[CREEEEEED]

I subscribe to the Sensei-Emperor theory, wherein if all of the Sensei in the galaxy are sacrificed to the Golden Throne at the moment the Emperor's will breaks, He will be restored to His full glory, and will lead the armies of mankind to destroy chaos, killing the chaos gods themselves, and purging the galaxy of all threats to mankind. And the Necrons will just be like "say whaaat? all we wanted was new flesh-bodies."

If that doesn't happen:

1. I think the Tyranids will basically lose interest and/or leave, since they're primarily attracted to the Astronomicon. They might even reach holy Terra itself, and I think that'd be interesting, because it ties into a bit of Blood Angels fluff - a premonition of Dante, fighting alone before the gates of the Imperial Throne Room, a single golden warrior standing between the Emperor and darkness.

2. The 13th Black Crusade has bogged down on Cadia - Chaos forces secured a foothold planetside, but the Imperium won the space battle, so Abaddon is very much trapped on the planet, with Lord Castellan Creed organising a counterattack against the Chaos scum, probably with a massive amount of assistance from the warden-chapters of the Eye of Terror.

3. Necrons just want new flesh-bodies. And to have their Empire again. And for life to keep existing so they can have new flesh bodies. All they're going to do is purge the everloving shit out of the Tyranids for trying to eat the galaxy.

4. Draxian what-now? The Imperium will crush them like insects! The Tau are trying to avoid military conflict with the Imperium due to simultaneous Ork and Tyranid invasions, as well as conflict with the Farsight Enclaves. They may even end up formally allying with the Imperium for the "Greater Good". The Tau are also fighting the Worldweave of Noisome Reek, which will likely lead to the destruction of the latter. The Ulumèathic League was destroyed by Hive Fleet Naga. These kinds of groups are minor threats to the Imperium and are treated as such - if they wanted, the Imperium could crush each of these tiny empires in a few decades (Tau may take a century or two, but they'd still get pretty brutally crushed).

5. Starchild/Sensei/various other rebirth theories.

For the record, Necrons *can* be killed - it is perfectly possible to irreperably damage them. And the number of Tyranids is also finite based upon the amount of biomass they consume. The Orks will lose at Armageddon again - the entire Black Templars chapter is there, as is Commissar Yarrick - the only human who Orks actually fear.


If Starchild/Sensei-Emperor happens, the Imperium will crush everything and have a new Golden Age, but it might be pushed almost to the brink of destruction in the process (Dante single-handedly defending the Throne Room while people sacrifice Sensei to the Golden Throne, for example). The Primarchs (those that are still possibly alive - namely Roboute Guilliman, Leman Russ, Corax, Jaghatai Khan, Vulcan and Lion El'Jonson) will reappear and fight the enemies of the Emperor at the great battle forseen by Sanguinius and recorded in scrolls kept by the Blood Angels.

Lets look at the defenders:

Space marines: Armour-plated giants who endure years of training and indoctrination, but who can still be converted to Chaos -_-
Imperial Guard: Humans, with extra-bright flashlights to shoot people with, and the Armour equivalent of ice-cream wafer. I mean come on humanity, in 39 thousand years we still aren't able to mass-produce good, effective armour. Can be converted to chaos and die easily.

Attackers:
Chaos: Can convert practically any human to chaos, as well as summon daemons to possess their weapons and fight for them, daemons who can't be killed either.
Necrons: Unkillable because they regenerate, weapons that cut through armour like butter, unknown amount of numbers that could be on any world
Tau: Weapons that make Eldar gizmo's look like they were built by orks
Tyranids: Only just starting to see the first glimpse of Tyranids, but hundreds of worlds have already fallen to them.
+Others

Space Marines mostly resist Chaos conversion, and Grey Knights can't be tempted. Also, a hundred of them are considered to be a viable force for conquering a world, so there's that.

Imperial Guard lasguns melt through rocks. 'Nuff said. Also, their armour is going to be a *lot* better than anything we can produce today, despite the main objective of it being "to be cheap and easily mass-produced by any halfwit in the Imperium".

Chaos: yes and no. Daemons *can* be killed (but you have to be in the Warp to do it), and you can also imprison them in various objects such as Tesseract Labyrinths (which are of Necron design, apparently).

Tau - NOT as advanced as the Eldar, by a long, long way, but their technology is, in some aspects, superior to that of the Imperium. In others it is inferior.

Tyranids - yes, but that's hundreds of worlds out of millions. The Imperium has time yet, and *everyone* is fighting the 'Nids, so they're not alone by any means.

[Wamitoria]

The Emperor will become a(n actual) god after his death. Enough people believe in him to make him a god.

In a sense, the Imperium will have a massive advantage as soon as the Emperor dies.

[CREEEEEED]

The Emperor will become a(n actual) god after his death. Enough people believe in him to make him a god.

In a sense, the Imperium will have a massive advantage as soon as the Emperor dies.

Depends how viciously they get fucked over by not having the Astronomicon any more.
(Answer: EMPEROR'SMERCYWHYCAN'TWEGOANYWHERENOW?????)

[Wamitoria]

The Emperor will become a(n actual) god after his death. Enough people believe in him to make him a god.

In a sense, the Imperium will have a massive advantage as soon as the Emperor dies.

Depends how viciously they get fucked over by not having the Astronomicon any more.
(Answer: EMPEROR'SMERCYWHYCAN'TWEGOANYWHERENOW?????)

True. And the Sensei-Emperor theory is much more likely.

If that theory turns out to be correct, I look forward to watching the entire Black Legion simultaneously shit themselves.

[CREEEEEED]

I doubt they'll ever go there. Because if they do, that'll be the end.

[Lenehen]

I doubt they'll ever go there. Because if they do, that'll be the end.

Maybe it'll be a special thing for GW's 50th birthday- the Emperor of mankind is reborn

[Oterro]

The Emperor will become a(n actual) god after his death. Enough people believe in him to make him a god.

In a sense, the Imperium will have a massive advantage as soon as the Emperor dies.

i thought that whole religion stuff only worked for the orcs?


does it matter, i mean, the imperium is fucking terrible, right? wouldn't it be good for it to be destroyed?

[Conserative Morality]

i thought that whole religion stuff only worked for the orcs?


does it matter, i mean, the imperium is fucking terrible, right? wouldn't it be good for it to be destroyed?

Not when you consider the alternatives.

[Oterro]

i thought that whole religion stuff only worked for the orcs?


does it matter, i mean, the imperium is fucking terrible, right? wouldn't it be good for it to be destroyed?

Not when you consider the alternatives.

maybe it would be better if everyone just died then

[Conserative Morality]

maybe it would be better if everyone just died then

Defeatist.

[Souseiseki]

i thought that whole religion stuff only worked for the orcs?


does it matter, i mean, the imperium is fucking terrible, right? wouldn't it be good for it to be destroyed?

Not when you consider the alternatives.

lover of roman empire in defends militaristic theocratic dictatorship shocker

[Souseiseki]

i thought that whole religion stuff only worked for the orcs?


does it matter, i mean, the imperium is fucking terrible, right? wouldn't it be good for it to be destroyed?

Not when you consider the alternatives.

naturally, the only alternative to fascist "order" is chaos.

[Conserative Morality]

lover of roman empire in defends militaristic theocratic dictatorship shocker

So which of the alternatives do you prefer, hmm?

[Conserative Morality]

naturally, the only alternative to fascist "order" is chaos.

So arbitrary bloodshed and torture appeals to you then?

[Suiseiseki]

naturally, the only alternative to fascist "order" is chaos.

So arbitrary bloodshed and torture appeals to you then?

Wait, are you talking about Chaos or the Imperium there?

[Souseiseki]

naturally, the only alternative to fascist "order" is chaos.

So arbitrary bloodshed and torture appeals to you then?

nah, that would the inquisition. *ba dum tish*

i mean you're probably taking a very limited view of the "alternatives" to the existence of the imperium are.

[Steel Confessors]

I don't think it'll progress any because GW is a pack of bitches.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Emperor is reborn via Starchild/Sensei methodologies, whichever works.

Imperium smartens up, has a few Wars of Faith to straighten out the Imperial Truth.

Imperium embraces Imperial Truth, advances ridiculously.

Imperium fucks over absolutely everyone else with power armor and bio-implants for all Imperial Guard, millions of Battle Titans, and though the Astronimca disappears the Emperor builds humanity its own Webway, therefore ridding them of the need for him to be worshipped as a God.

Tyrannids fuck off as the Astronimca disappears and the biomass expended isn't worth the cost. The Necrons get built new bodies and, since they no longer serve the C'tan, eventually integrate into the new non-xenophobic Imperium. Ditto Tau. Orks will always be a menace, but the sheer power of new Imperial technology relegates them to pathetic nuisances near the edge of Imperial space, which expands exponentially using the new Webway gates.

Mankind wins. Period.

[Zionale]

I don't think it'll progress any because GW is a pack of bitches.

yeah I doubt GW will EVER advance the plot

[Conserative Morality]

nah, that would the inquisition. *ba dum tish*

i mean you're probably taking a very limited view of the "alternatives" to the existence of the imperium are.

Let's see, alternatives include: Chaos, Orks, Tau, Necrons, Tyranids, or the Eldar.

All of which have unfortunate ends for the people living in the Imperium.

Wait, are you talking about Chaos or the Imperium there?

Chaos, of course. The Imperium may be brutal, but it's not arbitrary.

[Suiseiseki]

nah, that would the inquisition. *ba dum tish*

i mean you're probably taking a very limited view of the "alternatives" to the existence of the imperium are.

Let's see, alternatives include: Chaos, Orks, Tau, Necrons, Tyranids, or the Eldar.

All of which have unfortunate ends for the people living in the Imperium.

I don't know, the Gue'Vasa seem to be doing alright. Even in Dawn of War it only tended to be worlds that still resisted the Tau empire under occupation that got the whole sterilisation treatment.

Wait, are you talking about Chaos or the Imperium there?

Chaos, of course. The Imperium may be brutal, but it's not arbitrary.

lol

[Souseiseki]

nah, that would the inquisition. *ba dum tish*

i mean you're probably taking a very limited view of the "alternatives" to the existence of the imperium are.

Let's see, alternatives include: Chaos, Orks, Tau, Necrons, Tyranids, or the Eldar.

All of which have unfortunate ends for the people living in the Imperium.

does the end of the imperium have to mean "oh no now the orks are in charge!"?

Wait, are you talking about Chaos or the Imperium there?

Chaos, of course. The Imperium may be brutal, but it's not arbitrary.

lol so cute