History

Over ten thousand years ago the Great Emperor of Mankind ascended to the Golden Throne of Earth. Of the wars he waged to get there, of the countless agonies of battling worlds, there is no record. Only the Emperor remembers - if indeed even that strange and ancient creature can recall those distant times.

The ascent of the Emperor marked the end of a long era of human history, an age typified by inter-human warfare and a gradual decline of the accumulated knowledge of millennia. This was the Age of Strife. The high point of scientific achievement had occurred thousands of years before, in the yet older age known now as the Dark Age of Technology. Through the Dark Age of Technology and the Age of Strife, mankind has come to the present age - that of the Imperium.

Years	Age

The Present		Humanity is bound within the organizations and societies of the Imperial administration. The Emperor has now reached the end of his natural life, his existence is maintained only by artificial means and human sacrifice. Imperial servants work for the furtherance of humanity and its survival against the myriad perils that threaten to destroy it. Psykers and the horrors of Warp Space are controlled by the vigilance of Inquisitors, planetary governors and other imperial servants. Psykers continue to emerge in growing numbers, anarchic, anti- governmental and predatory groups associated with warp creature domination are steadily gaining ground in spite of the best efforts of the Emperor.

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10 millennia		From amongst the chaos of the Age of Strife one faction emerges as the victor. Slowly all the galaxy is taken within its before present fold and the Imperium is founded. The leader of the Imperium is known only as the Emperor - at this time still capable of independent life. with the founding of the Astronomican, a psychic navigational beam directed by the Emperor himself, interstellar travel becomes easier and quicker. The repression and control of psykers and warp creatures releases much of humanity from its hellish bondage.
before present





15 millennia before present	A	Terrible wars tear human civilization apart. Localized empires and factions fight amongst themselves as well as against the countless aliens who now flock to take part in the sacking of human space. Many worlds fall to the dominance of Warp Creatures whilst others revert to barbarism. Humans survive only on worlds where psykers are suppressed or controlled. During this time Earth becomes embroiled in terrible warp storms, isolating the home world for several thousand years and further adding to the ruin of humanity. Human cultures diversify and many regulations appear including the ancestors of Homo Sapiens Gigantus, Rotundus and Minimus.
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		Humanity reaches the far edges of the galaxy completing the push to the stars begun over five thousand years before, Human civilization is now widely dispersed and divergent - with countless small colonies as well as many large, overpopulated planets. Wars with alien races continue, but pose no threat to the stability of human space. All at once two things happen simultaneously - humans with psychic powers begin to appear on almost every world, and civilization begins to crumble as a result of widespread insanity, demonic possession and anarchy. At this time the existence of Warp Creatures and the dangers they pose to the human mind are not fully understood.

	D	Humanity explores and settles the galaxy encountering many of the races of space at the same time. A golden age for scientific achievement and expansion, perfection of the STC system now permits an almost explosive expansion as humanity heads for the stars and a new beginning. Development and subsequent cultivation of the navigator gene allows human pilots to make longer, faster warp jumps than previously thought possible. Navigator families, initially controlled by industrial and trading cartels, eventually become independent forces in their own right. Discovery of warp drives accelerates the colonization process, early independent or corporate colonies become federated to Earth. The first alien races encountered. The first alien wars begin.
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20 millennia	R
before present	K

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25 millennia		Humanity begins to colonize nearby solar systems using conventional sub-light spacecraft. At first progress is slow and the new colonies must survive as independent units isolated from the mother world by up to ten generations of travel.
before present

Timeline of the Imperium