It is the 42nd Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries The Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the Master of Mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.
Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defense forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.
To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.
It is the 42nd Millennium and the psychic wails of the Noctis Aeterna have subsided. Blacking out the astropathic choirs across entire sectors. Plunging countless worlds into the embrace of a new Long Night. Cadia has fallen. The Pylons are shattered. The Black Fleet has slipped forth unleashing a tide of bloodthirty terror across the cracking Dominions of the God-Emperor of Terra. Even as countless other foes assail Humanity from without and within. Greenskin Waaaghs crash into beleaguered sub-sectors. Druchari raid and pillage never before from the depths of the Dark City. New empires and races such as the Tau contest long established frontiers. While beyond the blackness of the inter-galactic void the tendrils of the Great Devourer, the Tyranid scourge, seep like a chittering tidal wave onto the crumbling foundations of Humanity's Galaxy spanning empire. Cadia has fallen and the defenders of Man are bereft and split in twain. The Galaxy asunder. Gashed from the Eye of Terror to the Edges of Galactic Rim by the Cicatrix Maledictum! Cadia has fallen!
But the spirit of Mankind has only ascended higher. The Imperium's resolve only the greater. For even as the Forces of the Archenemy shattered the greatest bastion containing the Eye of Terror and the influence of the Dark Gods. Its breach has caused an awakening. A power psychic, spiritual, profound and unlimited in the very soul of every man, woman, and child in the Imperium. Embodied in the words of the Emperor of Mankind himself! Words that fortified the core of bravery in the minds of the loyalist Legions of yore, urging them on to charge the Traitors at Istvaan against all odds. The words which galvanized the desparate defenders of Calth, Terra, and many more. Words which denied even the strongest of Mankind's foes the ultimate victory they so craved. Words joined now by a second declaration of defiance against all that would see the light of Human salvation dissolved amidst the blackness of an uncaring Universe! Only in Death does duty end.
The Dark Millennium is upon us! The levy breaks and the skies from Terra to the Galactic Rim crackle with the force to boil Oceans and sunder Mountains! This is the universe you now enter. Will you fight for Imperium and the Emperor's dream? Will you seek to turn the entire Galaxy into but an offering to your twisted Dark Masters? The Roleplay is centrally focused on the trials and tribulations between the Imperium and the Forces of Chaos in the early centuries of the 42nd millennium. In the wake of a Thirteenth Black Crusade. A Crusade which even has reached Holy Terra before being beaten back by heroic defenders. A war which has spawned dozens of lesser conflicts as both sides open new theatres. All might seem against Humanity, however, save for the resurrection of one of Mankind's oldest Hero's. A Primarch.
Players will be able to play entire chapters, Imperial Guard upper-level officers, High Lords, or Warlords of Chaos. Primarchs are available, however, they will narratively return sequentially.
In terms of the canon timeline. Cadia itself has fallen, broken asunder by a Blackstone Fortress in the closing days of the 999th year of M41. The three Tyrannic Wars have occurred along with the previous Black Crusades. However, various events can be made up in between to serve player applications. The start year is 105.M42.
Discord
The Narrative
The Narrative, due to the nature of the IC portraying events occurring throughout the Galaxy either concurrent or simultaneously, depends HIGHLY on player diligence. As such each post must be time stamped either through the Old Imperial Calendar or the New One (or both) while also being mindful of events you are a part of. Do not expect the Administratum of the RP to keep track of every little detail (we lose track of entire worlds periodically as is) or hold your hand. That being said this Roleplay primarily caters to those writers who are looking for a LONG-TERM roleplay and not something to get all giddy about for three days then vanish without a trace. If you cannot commit to at least a once a week posting schedule, then do not apply. Do not apply. If you cannot play well with others or be able to learn basic knowledge of the lore. Do not apply. Sorry, this RP has a specific audience in mind and while open to all, be mindful that if you cannot meet the expectations of the other players, you likely won't have as much as I would hope nor would they.
The Roleplay will be very flexible when it comes to narrative developments (within reason) and in the spirit of the Warhammer 40,000 universe the central theme is the grand gothic space opera it contains. This is not a wank RP. Do not come into this expecting to win every battle or self-insert your own Napoleonic complex about how much a grand taktikool genius you think you are. The Administratum won't care. I won't care. Your peers will not care. So please don't do that. The goal is to have fun. Have a good story. Experience victory and defeat. Triumph and sorrow. Gain and loss. A story of heroes and villains for their respective sides.
Now, if you're still reading back to the fun stuff. The Narrative. The narrative is primarily sandbox with minor nudges and guidance. Those appointed by the Operator (me) to the Administratum have carte blanche to assist you in your narratives. Keep them fun and the IC going. As such they will be able to puppet NPCs and help orchestrate events in slower parts of player storylines. Further, expect some challenge. If you're a chaos Primarch then b-lining to Holy Terra on the first page probably won't really end that well for you. Conversely, a loyalist plunging headfirst into the Eye of Terror to one-versus-one Khorne likely will not end well either. All of this is to serve creating a dynamic Warhammer experience and keep you intrigued in what is going to happen to your characters.
On Primarchs
The Forces of Chaos start out with full access to Seven Daemon Primarchs. The Loyalists start out with One resurrected Primarch and the more will appear as the IC progresses. Eventually, the loyalists will expect to field, possibly, up to Seven of their own. As such applications for loyalist primarchs will be also perma-reservations for their expected appearances. The Primarchs, whether Daemon or Loyalist, are likely to become central characters and as such it is encouraged for players roleplaying other forms of characters such as Daemons, Imperial Guard Lord General Militants, and so forth to become involved with them as a way of staying relevant. Not that you would need to constantly be in very scene with them. But having some form of interaction tends to service players well in making posts.
On Forces of Chaos and Imperial Characters
Players may opt to play Daemons, Chaos Space Marine warlords and quite possibly the Warmaster of Chaos himself, or various Imperial characters. Preferably occupying some station to keep the IC easy to post or keep up with. As such applying as a lone guardsman in a random regiment is probably not the greatest idea.
The Application
- Code: Select all
Character Name:
Alias/Epithets:
Appearance: (Please put image in spoilers)
Personality:
Backstory:
War Gear:
(Delete below category if not applicable)
[u]Astartes/CSM[/u]
Chapter Name:
Loyalist/Traitor/Renegade:
Affiliation if Traitor/Renegade:
Chapter Sigil/Symbol:
Other Heraldry:
Homeworld(s)/Home Ship(s) if fleet based:
Chapter Fleet Forces:
Chapter Manpower:
Chapter Organization:
Chapter History:
(Delete if below category is not applicable)
Branch or Department:
Imperial Office/Rank: (are you a High Lord or an Inquisitor Lord or General Militant? Lord Admiral?)
Age:
Career History: (summary of ranks and achievements, not your personal character history):
Character History: (Family and personal history, the mind and lineage of your character, use this if none of the below apply)
(Delete if below category is not applicable)
Patron God:
Daemonic Powers: (destroyer plague, warp powers etc)
Domain in the Warp:
Primary servants: (What Daemons, CSM, or Cults are specific to your influence or direct control?)
Character Biography: (it can be a long time so don't worry about having to make it super exhaustive. Just concise and detailed enough for players to get the idea).