Imperium of Man

The Imperium of Man is a large spacefaring civilization of the Milky Way. Comprised wholly of a wide diversity of humans, the Imperium is engaged in a perpetual struggle against horrendous threats, which has been raging for many millennia.

The modern Imperium is a degenerate version of the glory it once displayed. Trapped in a period of intellectual and technological stagnation, it is forever on the brink of succumbing to the vast horrors which threaten its existence. The Imperium is led by the God-Emperor of Man - a demigod-like entity of enormous psychic power, once capable of various great feats. However, the God-Emperor was betrayed millennia ago in an enormous civil war, and while victorious his body was left crippled and his mind fragmented. While he is still vital to the survival of the Imperium, his grip on life is tenuous.

After the crippling of the Emperor, corruption and stagnation seeped throughout the Imperium. Mismanagement and the loss of once-common technological information has resulted in a supremely paranoid and often superstitious culture, although this extreme totalitarian fascism also serves the purpose of limiting the rebellion of dissatisfied worlds and the infiltration of hostile agents, both of which could cause the Imperium to unravel if left unaddressed.

The technology of the Imperium is robust and potent, yet relatively simple in manufacture and operation - designed to produce maximum results regardless of the quality or scope of the available manufacturing facilities and/or raw materials. Many ancient pieces of weaponry and other equipment remain in use, continually repaired over long centuries, even though the capacity to create these more powerful devices has been either lost or greatly reduced. In some cases, superstition has partly replaced science when dealing with such technology, with religious incantations being held as or more important than actual repairs and technical knowledge.

The primary threats to the Imperium are threefold: the most fundamental and insidious is Chaos; the most widespread and numerous are the Orks; and the most alien and ravenous are the Tyranids. All three present major immediate threats to the Imperium which must be dealt with frequently. Much less serious threats arise from the Eldar and Tau, neither of which has the numbers to seriously challenge the Imperium. Chaos in particular is largely responsible for the Imperium's technological stagnation, as more advanced vehicles and weapons are prime targets for demonic infestation.

Record 784 - group - Last update 07 Nov 2007, 05:37:56

Entry written by: Torvus

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