Musings on the Imperium of Man.

[Grenadier]

I really love the story behind the game. The so called fluff. It's staggeringly deep and astonishingly rich. A vast untapped wealth of sci-fi goodness. The kind of stuff that would make for an epic movie trilogy. But I can't help but fixate on some aspects of the 40k universe.

Lack of wheeled vehicles. To my knowledge the only vehicles in the game with wheels are Space Marine bikes and that dune buggy looking thing the Elysians drive. Ok, I get, somewhere along the line man lost the power to invent. And the Priesthood of Mars has turned technology into a warped religion in which you have to chant a prayer just to turn on a light bulb lest you offend some machine spirit. And I get that technology was contained within the STC. So with this STC you could pretty much build any machine, tool, weapon, etc, that mankind would need. It was dumbed down so even a cretin could produce something. But still...did man forget how to make a damned wheel?!? Why aren't there more wheeled vehicles? The Imperial Guard could stand to have some attack bikes for example.

Yet apparently there are still artists in the Imperium. Someone has to make those titanic statues of heroes and all those tapestries after all. Well if you artists then you have creativity right? And if you have creativity you should have the power to invent right? So surely somewhere in the long long history of the Imperium at least one guy had a light bulb go off over his head and he had an idea for a new machine right?!? Take for example the Black Templars. Some Techmarine got the bright idea to slap bolters in place of lascannons and made an all new type of Landraider. There's a guy with a flash of inspiration.

Seriously, if the orks can figure out how to make wheels you'd think the humans could.

Now on to life in the Imperium. It clearly has to suck. You'll be forced to join the Imperial Guard most likely. Or rounded up and forced to crew some starship. Or you'll find yourself being killed all because ONE idiot somewhere on your planet decided he loved Tzeentch instead of The Emperor. And even if you avoid all of this one day you might wake up to find Tyrannids descending upon your planet. Or Dark Eldar swooping in to whisk you away to a grisly fate. Maybe, just maybe, if you're really lucky the Tau will come along and offer you a chance to be a part of the Greater Good. That wouldn't be so bad all things considered.

I'd imagine that the suicide rate on Imperial worlds is disturbingly high. What a dismal existence!

And what of other aspects of life in the Imperium? Is there a monetary system? Do Guardsmen get paid? Can they, assuming they survive all the wars, reach retirement age and draw pension from the Departmento Munitorum? Are there some worlds every hard working citizen hope to retire to someday? What about marriage? Or do people just get together long enough to make a baby to keep the race going? Well, the clearly must since the Guard alone has countless billions of soldiers to throw into the meat grinder. Can you own property in the Imperium?

And what of the noble Space Marine? These monastic warriors? I take it they have a vow that prohibits them from sex and wife seeking eh? Surely a Marine every once in awhile gets the urge to make love not war? Those Battle Sisters do look might sexy in their power armor after all.

There's not much it seems that speaks about the daily life of the average Imperial citizen.

[Dalleron]

All tech is supposedly controlled by the Ad Mech, as much as they can, so unless they aprrove your radical idea for a wheel'ed vehicle, good luck getting it made en masse. At least that is how I think on the subject.

An IG soldier could probably secure some kind of wealth if he was lucky enough. You have to get through all the red tape of the imperium, as it so full of it. Or at least be on a world where the Imperium has a small amount of influence. There are examples of out of the way worlds where this happens.

Marriage and love aren't touched on because "There is Only War". You want that, go read a romance novel.

Space Marines apparently lose the ability to feel love and such as part of the process of becoming a space marine. Something with drugs, progenoid organs and what not. I'm sure they would if the could, but they can't. I'm not even sure the "equipment" is still down there. I've heard references to some some Space Wolves cat calling at a female inquisitor or Sister of Battle, I forget which so they may be slightly different, as Space Wolves can be.

[Brakkart]

I would strongly advise you to get and read a copy of the novel Titanicus as a fair few of your questions are touched on in that story, set against the backdrop of war between Titan Legions on a Forgeworld, and civil strife between the Imperium and the Adeptus Mechnicus. It's a very good read, and goes into some depth on what life is like for regular people living in the Imperium.

[Grenadier]

I would love to learn more about Titans. I've scoured Lexicanum and its proven to be a good source of information. But the only thing I read about Titans in a novel was a short story about one getting it's mighty mechanical butt whipped by an outrageously huge dinosaur.

[LordGrise]

okies, lemme take these in order...

First, my reference works are the Gaunt's Ghosts novels from the Black Library, with additional material from Commissar Cain's biographical works and Ravenor's stuff. Please don't tell the Inquisition that I have access, eh?

Lack of wheeled vehicles... only in the military forces. Cain in particular spends time in cities (he apparently can't stay away from the genestealers, although Amberly has more than a bit to do with that) and talks about ground cars, apparently privately owned. Of course, he spends as much of his time as possible in the company of the nobility, but there you go. Also, he rolls in a Salamander; I've never seen a pic or a model of it, but my impression is that it is a wheeled vehicle. <<edit>> It is not; there's a link on ForgeWorld; just type "Salamander' into the search bar on the site. My bad...

Creativity? Not really addressed in my books, although there is one of Ravenor's chronicles where he goes into an artist's loft and discovers (of course) that the guy is chaos-touched. So creativity is stomped on like a gretchin at an IG boot-fitting convention, is my impression, especially mechanical creativity. I think there's a comment in one of the later Gaunt books where a tanker is criticized and warned by his superiors that if he and his crew keep servicing and repairing minor damage on their own vehicle they were going to bring the Mechanicus down on them. Artistic creativity had best be confined to appropriately Imperium-supporting religious themes, most preferably as a churchman.

Life in the Imperium does suck, by our standards. Work your shift, sleep your shift, and the only days off are the high holy days when your duties lay in other areas than your labors. But faith can sustain in the most hideous of situations, and life in the Imperium for most appears to be basically life in a work camp, NOT a death camp. Keeping in mind that one hive-city may have in excess of a hundred million citizens, and a high population world is tens of billions, the total population of the Imperium is likely somewhere north of 10 to the 15th. The vast majority of Imperial citizens are aware of enemies of the Imperium only thru the propaganda they are fed, which handily keeps them where they are out of fear for their souls.

Having said that, let me also say this: At only one million worlds in the Imperium, and say, a thousand of those under threat at any give time, Exterminatus is thrown around way too much. If one world died every year, in ten thousand years one full percent of the Imperium (worlds, not population) would be gone. In forty thousand years nearly one world in twenty would be a cinder. Of course, ongoing colonization efforts offset this, but still. Maybe the propagandists use those dead worlds as examples?

Suicide? Pish-tosh, citizen: repeat that and you'll be shot for sedition. They die by accident.

Money? Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and his guys, they gamble, as I recall, (as does Commissar Cain) with money, paper bills and coins both. Also, Gaunt and his guys spend a lot of their time clearing Chaos forces off of planets. In one of them they liberate an area and find that the Chaos forces in the area are so fanatical that they took the time to deface all the coinage by imprinting a sigil of Chaos over the image of the Emperor. Didn't steal them (at least not all of them) just defaced and cursed them all.

IG retirement? Yup, it's called colonization. If an IG regiment (I think that's the unit level, I could be wrong) does well enough, serves long enough, they can be given a world to colonize. Of course, most never make it, because casualty replacements count against this, but hey! It could happen. In the Gaunt's Ghosts books this is mentioned a couple of times, although the exact mechanism is never mentioned.

Marriage does exist; there are numerous references to common folk and their spouses.

Space Marines I can't help you with; I can't get into those books, I get a bad hernia of the imagination trying to support the disbelief. I've asked all these questions as well; of course, my impression is that they weld the poor slobs into their armor a la Starcraft 2, and never let them out. I dunno. One would think the Sisters would be good prospective mates, but i suppose that's how they'll know when the next coming of the Emperor is nigh: A Sister will become pregnant. I wouldn't make a good Space Marine; I think too logically, I wouldn't waste resources the way they do...

[JamesP]

The worst thing about being a human in the 40K universe is that evolution itself will probably kill you and your entire species.

Humanity is slowly evolving into a psychic race. Most psykers are too weak to avoid/ withstand the predations of daemons and other warp entities, leading to incursions from warp space and death on a very large scale. This is why the Imperium searches for, assesses and, if necessary, kills psykers so zealously and ruthlessly. But it is only necessary in the first place because of humanity's slowly evolving psychic potential.

You know you're in a grim-dark universe when your species' evolutionary process is probably going to lead to its extinction. And then to the eternal torment of your extinct species' souls by daemons.

[Kawauso]

There are tons of examples of civilian life not sucking in various 40k books, for the record.

On the whole, the impression I've gotten from most books is that life in the 40k universe for the average person is about the same as life on Earth now, for the average person. Thing is, every 40k story centres on some conflict or other (because that's the bit we're interested in). Still, there are plenty of snippets here and there of life on normal-seeming worlds prior to conflict.

There's art, there's culture, there's love and marriage, and there are wheeled ground cars. Living on most worlds is often very different from living on a Forge World or Death World or serving in the IG.

Pretty much all of the Cain series that I've read so far comes to mind - he spends a lot of time trying to avoid conflict - as well as the first Ultramarines novel, which depicts the world on which it takes place (Pavonis) as...well, pretty darn ordinary. There are others, too, but that's just off the top of my head. :)

[Grenadier]

Great replies guys. Very illuminating. I've not been able to read many 40k novels. The Last Chancers, Let the Galaxy Burn, Helreach, and Gunheads. Those are all I've read. Helsreach did a decent job of describing fighting against an Ork invasion but aside from that you couldn't really learn much about life in the Imperium.

The video game Space Marine does give you a glimpse into it. Certain levels involving manifactorum facilities and some automated warning gives you a clue. As well as peaking inside the quarters in the hab-block. They looked about as cheery as a prison cell.

One reason I wonder much about this is I thought I'd try my hand at writing a short story in the 40k universe.

[DrLove42]

I will second whjat Brakkart said above. Read Titanicus. Not only is a great book (although the ending feels a bit rushed) its a great insight into many of your questions.

And theres no Space Marines.

[Grenadier]

Will do when I can locate a copy. Yeah, I know, online...I'm just not an online shopper. Two hours away from here is a "Booksamillion." They have a surprisingly extensive selection of 40k books.

[Gotthammer]

The Elysian Tauros vehicles are wheeled, and there are a great many references to wheeled vehicles as mentioned - they were a class of vehicles in Rogue Trader and IG used to have bikes.

The Fantasy Flight books have heaps of background info too, especially on daily life. Imperial currency in them is Thrones, and their are a class of artists - I figure it's more like rennaissance artists where they almost exlusively produce religious / pro-imperial artworks, but there are many other numerous references to artists in the books.


Deathwing has the titular marines discussing various things and commenting that they don't need physical pleasure anymore as they know the transient nature of such things and are above them.

[Grenadier]

The Guard usedto have bikes? Damn it all...they should now. I'd love to see something along the lines of a WW2 German motorcycle with side car. My brain has been working on a way to make something like this and count them as Sentinels.

I've seen the Tauros vehicles and am impressed. I take it only the Elyisans can use them?

[Gotthammer]

They lost bikes going into 2nd ed to differentiate Guard into the current infantry horde / mechanised style. They were the same bikes (and jetbikes, landspeeders, predators, rhinos and landraiders) as Marines used at the same time. Colonel Corbane made a halftrack sentinel buggy (http://corbaniaprime.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/halftrack-sentinel.html) conversion which sounds like something up your alley.

As it stands the Tauros can be taken in any IG list, so if you're prepared to do conversions they can be used by anyone.

[rakshasa]

You should really read the Eisenhorn novels, it has many answers to your questions. "Dead men walking" is another book, especially the first part, where you have some great insight into the lives of imperial citizens.

I second the suggestion to read the books from Fantasy Flight games for they're rpg systems for much insight into the lives of humans in the 40th millenium.
I agree completely with what Kawauso said about life being quite normal if somewhat bleak because of the totalitarian regime implemented more or less depending on the relative importance of the world and how the imperial appointed governor rules said world.
The exceptions from the norm are treated into the novels because they are the most interesting. ;)

On regarding space marines, during the process they undertake to become super humans, they become sterile.
And they can take the armor off. It's just that they need it most of the time since fighting and training for fighting are the 2 most time consuming activities they have.

[Grenadier]

Yes, I'd love for my Imperial Guard army to have a WW2 Wehrmacht look. To that end I thought of making up some vehicles using WW2 kits. The problem is such models are hard to obtain around here. And then there is the issue of scale. Apparently there was a lot of stuff in 2nd edition that isn't there now. I began in third edition but was able to peruse some 2nd edition books. And the rules seemed much more complicated. But there certainly were some awesome weapons.

As for Imperial life I would imagine it varies from world to world. I do know that within the Imperium there are several kinds of worlds. Ranging from primitive to highly advanced. And that many of these worlds have little contact with other worlds due to distance and warp travel. I'd imagine citizens of some of the lesser worlds probably aren't aware of other worlds out there. Considering that ages have passed since they colonized the stars. There's likely even worlds which have no inkling the Imperium exists.

That supports my idea about creating an entire human army that comes from an isolate system that had nothing to do with the Imperium. No contact for some reason or another. And so they evolved on a different path. Perhaps gaining the power to invent or even co-existing peacefully with aliens. It'd make for an interesting story arc I think when this hypothetical civilization of humans encounters the Imperium.

Something else I consider interesting in the 40k story:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it has been 10,000 years since the Emperor unified the galaxy and the Horus Heresy right?

And didn't the Tau rapidly evolve within 10,000 years? In some ways I compare the 40k Tau to we humans in the real world of today. Only, it does seem the Tau have a much more positive and promising future than we real humans do.

And as far as our world, the real world, humans have pretty much rapidly advanced as a species in roughly 10,000 years?

We're real. 40k is ficitional. But the time frame is an interesting angle I think.

[SotonShades]

The Tau are a species that attained/evolved sentience approximately 2000 years prior to the current 40k timeline. So yeh, their society and technology evolved far more rapidly than our human society in the modern world has, though with a similar ratio of amount of time to develop technology (just to a far far more advanced level). And yes again, the Emporer has sat immobile on the Golden Throne after the Horus heresey

[Grenadier]

I only recently read that the Golden Throne has something to do with a webway portal or such. Can't remember the story. Something about an attempt to create their own version of the webway going wrong.

[Mr.Pickelz]

The Eisenhorn and Ravenor series really go indepth into the background of everyday life in, and out, of the imperium. even going so far as to have them attend a carnival deal with a Trader hotspot and even show how hard humans have to fight against a daemon. Ravenor has a lot of psyker vs. psyker combat even inside a ship in space combat. as for wheeled vehicles, it describes everyday people using them, even having traffic issues. The Enforcer book, which follows a Adeptus Arbite around goes fairly in depth into politics as well as the different Technology levels people have access to.

[Grenadier]

I have a lot of reading to do. For I know about stuff like hive gangs and stuff. But nothing concrete about it. Same with the Adeptus Arbites. I just know they're like cops. It's that same kind of stuff I need to learn more about.

[LordGrise]

I haven't seen anything about hive gangs - although if anyone has the ear of anyone at GW who might pay attention and route appropriately, a set of books telling the story of a hive gang would make for awesome reading. A Chaos cult, a Genestealer infestation, and I dunno, Dark Eldar for book three? Although I don't know how you'd get Dark Eldar into the bowels of a Hive...

As for Arbites, the first one is good, and after that it gets very, very twisted. I did not enjoy them, and I did not finish the series, which for me is a rarity.

[Baron Spikey]

In Gaunts Ghosts the Ghosts (Tanith Soldiers) use Bikes and Attack Bikes in their role as scouting Outriders for a convoy.

Adeptus Arbites are more like super-federal agents than your run of the mill police, they handle the crimes on a planet that effects the Imperium rather than the population directly (so treason and heresy rather than thieving and murder).

The Golden Throne's role is to sustain the scraps of life energies present in what is essentially the Emperors corpse- the Emperor in turn provides the power for the Astronomican (essentially the beam of psychic energy Imperial Navigators use to...erm Navigate with when in the Warp) and to keep the Imperial Webway portal behind the Throne sealed for all eternity. The day that seal fails is the day that Terra is destroyed.

[Grenadier]

I knew about the Emperor and the Astronimicon already. But I was surprised about the webway seal. I only recently read about that on some website. The bulk of what I know comes from all the scraps in the rulebook and codexes from 3rd edition up. The website I found had a wealth of information.

So it seems the Imperial Guard does have some access to bikes eh? I assume they're the same kind of bikes available to the Astartes. Maybe scout versions. Which doesn't make my idea for some bikes in my army all that outrageous. Problem is what would I count my bikes (assuming I ever get them built) as?

[Wildeybeast]

For an insight into the life of the average person, read the HH novel Nemesis. Admittedly set during the great crusade so things would be a bit nicer, but it gives you a good insight into civillian life on an average world (before Horus obliterates it of course).

[doom-kitten]

The 'common' citizen can't really be applied to the Imperium, as a whole it's made up of countless world each with their own distinct human, this ranges from sword wielding Knights of the round table to Civilized and Culture peoples int the Ultramar system. I imagine each archtype of world (hive worlds, deathworlds, pleasure worlds, etc.) would have it's own style of basic life, as a side note the Imperium likely views things such as commonplace motor vehicles an unnecessary luxury and a waste of valuable resources that can be better put to use building munitions and weapons to defeat their countless enemies.

[Grenadier]

That gives me some ideas Doom Kitten. I get the impression that the Imperium is kind of an "anything goes" narrative back drop. Seems you can come up with just about any kind of story or human civilization and set it in the 40k universe.

[St. Murphy]

The innumerable possibilities is really what makes 40k great. Anything can go. You have feral worlds, technocracies, cults, crazies, you name it. It's great for the authors and game developers, but for us players as well. I love the idea of being able to write my own backstory for the planet that my IG regiment was mustered from and how that gets reflected in the paint sceme and conversions. As long as it's grim dark, game on!

[Deadestdai]

I haven't seen anything about hive gangs - although if anyone has the ear of anyone at GW who might pay attention and route appropriately, a set of books telling the story of a hive gang would make for awesome reading. A Chaos cult, a Genestealer infestation, and I dunno, Dark Eldar for book three? Although I don't know how you'd get Dark Eldar into the bowels of a Hive...

As for Arbites, the first one is good, and after that it gets very, very twisted. I did not enjoy them, and I did not finish the series, which for me is a rarity.

Look up the Necromunda Omnibus' on Black Library for some illustrated tales of gang life. Also, the original "Space Marine" novel by Ian Watson starts off with it's main characters in gang life within a Hive.

And I'd like to echo the suggestion to read the Eisenhorn trilogy - best 40K literature out there In my opinion.