The Imperium of Man is one of the major factions in Warhammer 40,000, a galactic empire reunited and established by the Emperor after the Age of Strife. Following the Horus Heresy, the Emperor sat eternally on the Golden Throne, unable to speak.
Therefore, the human empire was subsequently ruled by the Terran Lords, and gradually fell into a cruel military dictatorship and religious rule, while also facing the threat of various alien creatures.
The vastness of the Imperium of Mankind defies precise calculation. Its boundaries are constantly shifting, and within it, worlds are constantly being discovered, lost, recovered, and destroyed. Here, there are miracles and atrocities, saviors and madmen, criminals and kings. Here, there is both inspiring courage and soul-crushing knowledge.
Humanity's journey to conquer the stars began thirty-nine thousand years ago. In 2969 A.D., humanity first landed on the Moon. In 3100 A.D., humanity began terraforming Mars. In 3200 A.D., humanity officially began colonizing planets beyond Earth. In 4000 A.D., humanity discovered the Warp. But it wasn't until A.D. that humanity truly left the solar system and journeyed deeper into the universe.
At that time, human spaceships could only crawl through the vast void at sublight speeds, and traveling from one colony to another would take over ten generations. Consequently, each colony was forced to develop independently, leaving Earth behind. This era, known as the Dark Ages of Technology, lasted until the year of the Era, when humanity finally invented subspace travel.
In the years that followed, humans began to conquer space at a rapid pace.
Influenced by the Warp, psykers began to appear. Influenced by the environments of various planets, subhumans began to appear. As the territory continued to expand, aliens were also discovered one by one.
Then, STC (Standardized Production Template) technology was invented and then lost. Then, endless civil wars caused the collapse of humanity's vast civilization.
In the year of the Era, a war broke out between humans and robots, commonly known as the Iron Rebellion. It was the equivalent of the Omnic Crisis!
Ultimately, all robots were annihilated, but the turmoil of war caused the energy fluctuations of the Warp to become increasingly intense. Eventually, Warp storms, impeding interstellar travel, erupted across the galaxy, disrupting air routes and communications between colonies. The Age of Conflict began, and humanity, alone, battled the harsh environment and alien invasions, constantly struggling on the brink of survival.
Even Earth was plunged into civil war due to resource and population crises, with billions of its inhabitants dying from war and famine. Meanwhile, on Mars, an organization known as the Adeptus Mechanicus preserved ancient technology. They built massive starships and Titans, and slowly began colonizing outer space again.
The history of the human empire can be simply divided into six stages.
The First Phase: The Terran Era. This refers to the first millennium of humanity, which lasted until the year 2000. This phase essentially covers the period of humanity's evolution from primitive to modern, and the period before the development of large-scale interstellar colonization technology. The Emperor was born during the first millennium of humanity, and has remained hidden within human society ever since, secretly observing and protecting human civilization.
The second phase: the Dark Age of Technology. This lasted from 1940 to 1949. This was the Golden Age of human civilization, when technology advanced rapidly and a wave of colonization spread across the galaxy. The technology of today's Imperium stems from this era, yet it lags far behind. The Emperor's Great Crusade aims to reawaken this era.
The third stage: the Age of Strife. This lasted from 1930 to 1939. Due to the Eldar's excessive abuse of the power of the void for pleasure, a flood of negative energy filled the Warp, leading to the creation of numerous Warp Storms. These storms disrupted communication between human civilizations, as all interstellar routes required the Warp. Consequently, the galaxy-wide loss of communication led to the collapse of human civilization, leaving all human colonies isolated and helpless, left to fend for themselves.
The fourth phase: the Unification Wars. It began and ended within the year of the Human Era. The Emperor, in seclusion, witnessed the once-glorious Earth burn to ashes during the Age of Strife, leaving only a desert infested with technologically advanced barbarians. He therefore decided to step forward and reunite human civilization, starting with Terra, the Earth.
The Emperor created his Custodes as his personal guards, and with the Thunder Warriors as his main force, he began his journey to unify Terra. The outcome of the Unification Wars was predictable; it took the Emperor only a few decades of fighting to reconquer Earth and establish the Empire of Man.
However, the Thunder Warriors, who served as the main force, were not mentally stable enough. In order to realize his dream of restoring human civilization, the Emperor needed more stable and powerful warriors, which led to the birth of the Astartes Project, which created the Space Marines and twenty Primarchs.
The Fifth Stage: The Great Crusade. The flames of humanity's rebirth would ultimately be ignited by a single, greatest figure: the universally revered Emperor! No one knew his origins, nor his true name. His wisdom and knowledge were unrivaled, his strength and psychic powers unmatched. He reunited Earth and led humanity on a renewed quest for galactic conquest. The Mechanicus venerated him as the incarnation and herald of the Machine God, humanity's final savior.
Thus began the Great Crusade! Over two hundred years, the Emperor and his warriors reunited the shattered colonies under the Imperial banner. The Emperor's armies conquered the lands, rediscovered once-lost human worlds, and drove out the alien oppressors, saving humanity from darkness and despair. It was an era of dawn, as humanity united under the Emperor's banner and regained its former glory.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
