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Hi!
Continuation....
The Emperor slowly puts into effect his plans unify humanity and make it resistant to the depredations of the entities that now populate the warp (known to the ignorant as "demons").
The campaign to subjugate the sol system is during the closing years of the age of strife. This time is important since it marks the development of bio-engineered humans as elite soldiers and the construction of the first fleets. The annexation of Mars was crucial in these beginning steps as much techology had been preserved. It came at a cost. Technology was worshiped, not mastered. The notion that the golden age technology was the epitome of knowledge. Some came to beleive it could not be bettered. It was reverently kept, but not built upon. Even before the warp storms abated technological advance was crawling to a virtual standstill.
But what technology was to be had was put to brutal use. When the warp storms disappears what flowed out of the sol system was an armada like nothing seen before. Vast, organized and with one purpose - the unification of the galaxy under the rule of man.
The Age of stife lasts nearly 5,000 years.
The Age of the Great Crusade
With most warp storms gone the great hosts of Terra quickly conquered neighboring systems. Some systems came back peacefully others not so peacefully. In the end the material strength of the new "Imperium" won the day.
There are many accounts of the Imperium facing human "empires" of greater technology, but the sheer attritional strength of the Imperium would eventually erode the enemy. While many STC systems were recuperated, many were also destroyed when the defeated took them with them in their death throes.
During this time contact with a series of homeworlds of variant human, whom were smaller in size, but technologically adept were found. They called themselves "demuirge". In honor of of a great leader who though guile and use of available technology kept the homeworlds from oblivion against an ork horde. This is one of the few examples were technology was freely given to the Imperium in exchange for autonomy.
The Orks retreated before this new organized threat. Hiding in innacessible systems where man had little desire to follow. They would plague man incessantly through the next millenia.
The Eldar also retreated. While far advanced in technology they could never hope to win in attritional wars against the limitless human hordes.
During the Cursades the bio-engineered human soldiers soon to be known as Space Marines were perfected. But the Emperor wanted more. A whole race of super humans. Uncorrupt, strong and with purpose. For this he created beings known as primarchs. Furthermore Space Marines would no longer be inducted from the masses as they have been but from the direct genetic material of these super beings. The plan had one fatal flaw even the presience of the Emperor could not foresee.
A new power in the galaxy became aware and sentient at this time. A power soon to be known and feared. That power is chaos. Chaos feeds of the emotional energy of sentinet beings. Humans are its main fare. Being so emotional charged, sentiments such as agression, treachery and the power to pollute any enviorment had expressions in the warp. Khorne for mans violence and war like nature. Tzeentch for mans power to change, his double dealings with others. Nurgle for the power of man to corrupt body and soul and well as the material universe. Only the power slaneesh came from an non-human source, but could easily appeal to mans lust and desires as well.
These beings were not mere automatons. They had thoughts and desires as well and a superhuman race was not one of them. Using their corrupting powers they managed to teleport the fetal primarchs accross the galaxy. They were aware since primarchs were not natural born of man and woman they would absorbs the traits of whatever world they appeared on. While chaos had no control over where they would appear they had gambled that some enviorments would give some of the primarchs character flaws that chaos could later exploit. Time would prove them right.
Meanwhile the crusades continued, in time the primarchs were revealed. They led the space marine legions for which they were created. Even then while they had great power, the small flaws that would prove their downfall started to appear.
Magnus's desire for known all things forbidden, Angron's desire for martial conflict, even when conflict was not necessary. Fulgrims overindulgence in all things related to the senses. Cultists from al over the galaxy quietly fed these needs and desires as the rot spread through the Legions.
At the Imperiums greatest moment - the unification of the galaxy under mans rule, came its utter fall.
For the whisperings from the warp became commands....
..any many primarchs obeyed.
To be continued.....
Primarch
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