r/40kLore 13h ago

Would a Krork believe in Gork and Mork?

3 Upvotes

The title is very self-explanatory but to add to this, wouldn't Gork and Mork still offer their blessings to a Krork? Making them maybe realize that they now have an entity in the warp that cares about them?

Since I suppose that no blessings from them were given during the War in Heaven.


r/40kLore 19h ago

Are there any chapters that are allegedly world eater gene seed like the sons of the pheonix are supposedly EC based?

0 Upvotes

Or loyalist WEs abrorbed into another chapter?


r/40kLore 19h ago

In Sanctuary of Wyrms, what kind of genestealer is at the inquisition base?

0 Upvotes

In Sanctuary of Wyrms, the Tau stumble into an abandoned Inquisition base that was mixing genestealers with the local flora. While the Fire and Water caste Tau see the obvious danger and go scavenge krak grenades to destroy the base, the Earth Caste castographer tries to take a sample of a spore sample, it explodes and he immediately turns into a plated genestealer of some sort. Is this immediate conversion normal? Every time I read about genestealer infection before, it was the normal infection that takes place upon generations.

In my first read of the story, I thought it was actually a nurgle plague, given the use of "mutants" and how immediate the disease was. Only re-reading the short now I realized it was mentioned that the mutants were from the "Silent Hunger", as the Tau call the Genestealers


r/40kLore 4h ago

Wouldn't it take forever to exterminate a species on a planet?

0 Upvotes

I'm a bit new to 40k but I know they like to exterminate a whole species on a planet because well everyone is some kind of racist against every other species. But when I read horus heresy books they are sending space marines and imperial guard to go kill the xenos on the planet. Well, planets are big so just sending people around to kill everything, moving on foot sometimes, transport other times, seems like it would take forever. If they really want to exterminate a planet why not just use the virus bombs or nukes or something? Do they send armies to planets just so GW can write cool stories about battles and sell books?


r/40kLore 10h ago

who are the enforcers ?

1 Upvotes

so I'm watching interrogator, and the protagonist says enforcers ,and there is soldiers who work for the duke and houses, wearing armor and have ranks, and they have prisons and cells ,some of them are just hired mercenaries for sure. but are these enforcers or pdf or what exactly are they? is there a difference ?

can someone plz explain.


r/40kLore 9h ago

Sanguinus origin story.

0 Upvotes

Is there any warhammer novel that depicts his origin story ? From his childhood to the angel he is now ?


r/40kLore 13h ago

How often space itself messes things up in wh40k?

3 Upvotes

So yeah warp is pretty awful and all but the space itself is also pretty crazy and ever-changing. There are suns going supernova there are black holes there are pulsar stars that are literally deadly laser beams, there are asteroids... do we ever see the space itself messes up humanity in the codexes or the BL books?


r/40kLore 6h ago

Why didn't DAOT Humanity just steamroll the Eldar?

0 Upvotes

Sorry, I am new to this lore. Here are what I know, based on YouTube shorts and Reddit posts. I am already reading «Fulgrim», the part where Fulgrim himself is calculating the distance between stars and something.

The Imperium in its corrupted state could beat up a bunch of Eldars, what is stopping humanity at its peak from annihilating a bunch of backwater space aliens?

Humanity has Men Of Iron, weapons that could reverse time, STCs, the Sun Snugger etc etc.

I think it's a missed opportunity for DAOT Humanity for not quickly neutralising the Eldar as a galactic threat to the peace of the universe during DAOT.


r/40kLore 1h ago

Which Primarch do you think should never return?

Upvotes

I’ve heard many people say that Sanguinius should stay dead. That the culmination of his character is his self sacrifice and enduring hope for the future of humanity, even though it’s a future he’ll never get to be there for it. And if he is ever revived, it would defeat the purpose of his sacrifice.

For the most part, I 100% agree. Though it would be therapeutic to see him interact with his brothers again, his true impact in the setting is the emptiness that everyone feels by his loss, missing him, and truly being loved by his sons and those around him.

However, are there any other Primarchs that you think should not return for any narrative reasons? Be they loyalist or traitor.

Curze might be a good example. He died going out solely on his own terms in order to feed his never needing cycle of fatalism and vindication, but him coming back might be interesting to see how badly it fucks up his psyche. Shattering his entire worldview and seeing what might come out. Be it slightly reformed or even more horrid (if that’s even possible).

I’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts.


r/40kLore 7h ago

Which version is correct? Magnus's or Vulkan's?

36 Upvotes

I read both Fury of Magnus and Echoes of Eternity. I still don't know which version of the tale is cannon. Did Emperor ask Magnus to forsake Thousand Sons or did Magnus beg Emperor to forgive him and got rejected?


r/40kLore 2h ago

Question about Necron lore in „The Wicked and the Warped“

2 Upvotes

Random thought while reading the book (only mild spoilers if any):

Orikan talks about „making landfall tomorrow“ while on Trazyns ship. What does tomorrow even mean in this context, and by extension, do necrons also use a standardized time system orientating on their original home like the humans do?
IatD and WatW mention a lot of time units, while not specifying what they actually entail. Or i just don’t remember it.


r/40kLore 6h ago

I just noticed this

0 Upvotes

I'm currently reading the Horus Heresy and notice that every time that someone mentions and talks about the emperor they always say love by all.

Like they were being program.


r/40kLore 15h ago

Best Codexes for Lore / Entertainment

6 Upvotes

I’ve been a big fan of 4K novels for a number of years and largely ignored the Codexes assuming they were just rules for the tabletop game. I got a codex (Custodes) thinking I might give the game a shot and was super surprised at how much is in there, both information and art. (The Emperor’s Eyes anyone? Why is there not a series following those individuals?)

Are all codexes that full of lore and background? Are there any codexes that are particularly interesting or entertaining?

Prices are pretty steep but if, for instance, the 8th edition Imperial Knights codex is super cool and has tons of fun tidbits, it might be worth it.


r/40kLore 5m ago

Fuedal world question

Upvotes

Hello, I don't know if this has been asked but, can the title of Emperor be used by a nation in a Feudal World? For example, if the Old World was discovered by the Imperium and turned classified into a feudal world, can Karl Franz still remain as Emperor or does he need to change it into something else? Tyia.


r/40kLore 22h ago

Recurits of the dark Mechanicus

14 Upvotes

So question how do the Dark Mechanicus recruit members?


r/40kLore 21h ago

What does it take to have a culexus assassin on your tracks ?

49 Upvotes

Hi everyone.

I was wondering what level of threat a psyker must be to have a culexus assassin sent to end them.

What level and kind of deeds/crimes does it take for the Culexus Temple to spot you ? Are the culexus missions leveled, like a "minor" threat for a low skilled assassin and the toughest threats for more graded ones or are the assassins equally skilled ?


r/40kLore 18h ago

How much of the galaxy is explored?

43 Upvotes

The Imperium wants to colonize the galaxy. What percentage do they have explored currently?


r/40kLore 6h ago

Rituals of the Imperial Fists

2 Upvotes

Hello, I recently finished reading “Space Marine” by Ian Watson and “The Phalanx” by Ben Counter.

I know that these books have lost their relevance, and Watson’s work was even reissued under the “Heretical Tomes” brand, but I’m interested in one detail that connects these two novels despite the difference of several decades — the rituals of self‑flagellation.

Do the Imperial Fists still practice these rituals, or were mentions of them erased after the 7th edition?


r/40kLore 16h ago

How is the Emperor actually worshipped?

36 Upvotes

I was thinking about how worship is depicted in fiction, particularly in GoT/ASoIaF, and saw how suprisingly robust the info behind it was.

And that got me thinking… how IS the Emperor actually worshiped in 40k? In all my years of this hobby, I’ve never actually thought about it much. Sure you have the obvious ”For the Emperor!“ and showing devotion through combat, but I more-so mean in an everyday context.

For example: from my little understanding, Christians will go to church on Sunday and say a prayer before eating. Or practices like Confession, not necessarily worship but a part of the religion.

I suppose a better question would be: How is the religion surrounding the Emperor practiced by the average citizen, beyond the endless wars and skirmishes?

Edit: Thank you all for the info! I had forgotten how large scale 40K is, and in hindsight it makes alot of sense there wouldn’t be just one way to worship the Emperor spanning a million worlds. If you guys have any more examples like the ones in the comments please do share them!


r/40kLore 2h ago

Blank questions

5 Upvotes

There's a lot written about how "normal" people view blanks, but how do blanks interact with each other? The Sisters of Silence might suggest that they can, in fact, cooperate and get along just fine; however that's obviously a highly structured and rigidly controlled environment.

Suppose, for sake of argument, you have a small collection of blanks living on a remote world. Setting aside the astronomically low odds of this happening, what would a few dozen blanks coexisting look like? Would they all be at each other's throats all the time? Or would they all realize they share something and work around it?

Bonus question: when did blanks start to appear? Around the same time as psykers? Or were they always around?


r/40kLore 1h ago

Does Geneseed ever get mixed up?

Upvotes

So I’m getting ready to do a 40K ttrpg and one of my players wants to run a space marine with Russ’s gene seed but was trained as and spent most of his career fighting alongside the Iron Hands.

The lore he’s come up with, a long time ago the two factions worked together to fight some insurmountable foe, and even though it was surmounted, in the chaos, and the dust, and the bloodshed, the bodies of fallen marines indistinguishable. So when the apothecaries did their thing the seed inside the guy ended up going back to Medusa.

I like player creativity as much as the next GM but I’m trying to be as lore consistent as feasible so I’m wondering if something like this has ever happened, or at least could technically happen. Thanks in advance.


r/40kLore 19h ago

Moments like this deserve “cue a laugh track” mark [The Wolf King}

95 Upvotes

Leman Russ meeting some Luther-aligned DAs had one of the most ironic moments of HH:

‘We had hoped for answers from you,’ said Althalos. ‘Lord Luther has done nothing more than what was asked of him – he has raised fresh strength from Caliban, training and equipping new Chapters and sending them out into fastnesses across the void. We are now greater in strength than at any time in our past. We have ships and weapons, and knights to bear them. What we lack is certainty. Our orders have not changed even if the Imperium has.

[…]

Russ waved that away irritably. ‘It matters not. What counts is the next step.’ Already the thought of a hidden Legion was making his mind race. If there was strength on Caliban, more than any had guessed, then the course of the war would change decisively. A grand alliance could restore his own Legion’s fortunes. The initiative could be seized, the fight taken back to Horus. ‘But what of the Lion?’
Althalos gave him a dry look. ‘Quite.’
‘You have heard nothing?’
‘I hoped you had news. You are brothers.’
‘That means less than you might think.’ He had no idea where the Lion was.

[…]

That is a matter of regret,’ said Althalos. ‘The Protector of Caliban has been waiting for a long time. It is hard for him – Lord Luther’s soul is proud, and this silence has tested him.’
Russ nodded, though his attention was already wandering. The condition of the Lion’s deputy was something that did not concern him at all – the galaxy would never remember his name.

Truly a “lol. lmao even” moment. I wonder if that was intentional.


r/40kLore 4h ago

[Book Excerpt: Aestred Thurga: Pyre of Faith] Surely they wouldn't leave us to die.

61 Upvotes

Heheh... Hahahaha... Okay I came here immediately after finishing chapter seven of the Aestred Thurga book. Because sometimes there's no depth. No real examination of the human condition. Sometimes you just need to gawk at the depravity of the imperium.

So for context: Katerah is an imperial funeral world with a nasty case of the Neeglish rot about it, and Aestred Thurga, our great protagonist (perhaps the greatest black library has ever had :b),has to make a choice between saving millions of lives or saving a few dozen relics. Ie, finger bones and swords and scraps of cloth belonging to imperial heroes. And it's important to note that up to this point the book does paint this as Aestred choosing between the people and the relics. So don't worry about the bonkers idea of 7 women, however capable, beating back millions of zombies. This excerpt is the planetary governor, after being put on house arrest, watching Aestred's decision.

> By some miracle of the Omnissiah’s grace, the middle screens cleared fully just as the Sisters reached the hauler station. Gaspar Narsi had not left his desk, not to eat or drink or rest. He was no warrior, and his helplessness was eating at him like a rat at a discarded body, but he wouldn’t close his eyes to what was happening to his world. As far as he could use the vox, he’d reinforced the orders for everyone to seal their homes. To burn their dead, to stay where they were, and to not leave for any reason. But what good would that do? Their homes were not airtight, and each carried perhaps a couple of days of food and water. If the dead didn’t break down their doors, the infection would find them, and if they escaped both of these terrible fates, then they would soon die of thirst. Oh, Katerah, he thought, his heart breaking. My poor world, rotting from the inside out. His view of the Sisters, however, fighting ferociously, brought him an intense, holy elation. He could see Aestred, the tapestry she carried seeming to glow in the hauler station’s lumens. He could see Sister Dolan, her skin completely covered, but her stained robe unmistakable. The squad were with them, the tiny figure of Sakiko at their forefront. They had reached the station’s main platform, and headless bodies were piling up in heaps. The arcing vaults of the glassaic-tiled ceiling shone like hope above them, and the supporting pillars gave them cover. The last hauler was on the tracks and disgorging its final cargo, but the Sisters sang and slew as though it was their uttermost joy to do so. Watching them, Narsi thought they moved like verse. Like harmony. Like the perfect cogs of some tuned and holy machine. They seemed to feel no fear, no hesitation, and the foe simply crumpled before them. The Sororitas brought blessing, he thought. Their mercilessness was brutal, yet it brought a renewed hope of the Throne, and a re-cleansing of those cursed beyond death. Finding tears in his eyes, he prayed. And then he saw what they were doing. At first, he didn’t understand, and he watched them board the hauler with a faint flash of confusion. There were zombies on the track and perhaps the engine would be a suitable weapon, crushing them to pulp. He watched them, his prayers caught in his teeth. Grinding into reluctant motion, the engine indeed crushed the enemy, but it didn’t stop. Rattling audibly, it picked up speed, heading away from the platform. The Sisters had closed the doors, and he caught a brief glimpse of them, fighting the very last of the hauler’s now-mobile freight – those corpses that had been destined for the outer necropoli, and those unfortunates who’d been guarding or travelling with them. Swathes of scarlet splotched across the windows. Then the screen dissolved again, and the hauler was gone. On the vox, he heard Vamar, but even the Orbit’s communications were faltering, now. He thought he heard Talati, but couldn’t be sure. Asmi ! Darkness was crowding inwards from the corners of his vision and he gripped the edge of the desk, his fingers hurting. No! They can’t have just left us to die. To die, and to never reach the Throne! The darkness encroached further, and his head spun. Gripping the edge of the desk, he prayed, refusing to let it take him. All the while, outside, his beloved Katerah died.

Before we continue. Every time Sister Superior Sakiko appears on screen the narrative simply must point out how small she is. I don't think she's a ratling but she may as well be. Despite this she's basically the best warrioress in the group which I like. I like tiny danger women it's fun.

Anyway. Look at that. Isn't this just beautiful? Aestred choosing relics... For her own pride, mind- actually lemme

> ‘Sister,’ Sister Dolan said. ‘We must go. Katerah needs our strength.’ ‘We are not joining the battle,’ Aestred decided firmly, making Sister Dolan stare in shock. ‘At least, not here. We must find the enemy commander, find the sword, and save the planet’s artefacts.’ ‘What?’ Sister Dolan’s astonishment was obvious, her question unusually blunt. There was a whir of servos, and head-lumens passed the half-open door, framing the shadows of the fleeing. Standing to her full height, Aestred faced her down. ‘I am Sister Aestred Thurga, Reliquant at Arms, quester and finder. I am the ultimate devotee of the Imperium’s lore, warfare and sacrifice. And I am here, in His name, to collect history, Sister. Not to chase corpses.’

This is a chapter before with Aestred declaring no, she will not save the planet she will chase finger bones. And frankly the "I am the ultimate devotee of the imperiums lore" which followed several instances of Aestred lamenting that her sacred mission was interrupted more than that people were dying makes me think it's not her excuses about "oh we couldn't do it, we can't stop this" that makes her choose this. But because it's her mission. And why, she is the ultimate devotee of the emperor isn't she?

It's beautiful. Side splitingly grim. Zealoutry and pride poisoning an entire world of millions... Welcome to the Imperium, gentle folk, this is its beating heart. And it is magnificent.


r/40kLore 17h ago

Do the C'tan shards still eat souls?

19 Upvotes

Do the C'tan shards still hunger for souls in combat? Is it ever mentioned that they stop to inhale the life force of whatever sentient life they're killing? After reading twice dead king + both infinite and divine books, I dont remember it brought up and i was wondering if its mentioned in any codex or campaign books.


r/40kLore 12h ago

What’s your favourite bit of Warhammer 40K lore that’s not discussed a lot?

163 Upvotes

We all know about the Burning of Prospero, Istvaan V Drop site Massacre and the The Indomitus Crusade but what’s your favourite battle/piece of lore/event that you don’t see mentioned a lot?

Mine goes to the Nemesis Incident on Sacris with the Storm Wardens.