The Imperium is the setting for most events in Warhammer 40,000. Of course, for us humans, what happens to humans in the 41st millennium is particularly interesting. But “the Imperium” is more than just a large empire. MeinMMO explains.
Whether in Space Marine 2, Rogue Trader, or Inquisitor – Martyr, you will constantly encounter the Imperium of Man (often simply called the “Imperium”) in Warhammer 40,000. Space Marines serve it, the Inquisition eliminates anyone who works against it.
However, none of these games truly explain what the Imperium actually is. You are part of it and fight for the Imperium and its divine leader, whom no one has ever seen.
Especially if you have never dealt with Warhammer before, the question arises: What is the Imperium at all? The Imperium refers to the realm in which humans live in Warhammer 40,000. It spans more than a million planets with trillions of humans, spread over more than 100,000 light-years.
MeinMMO explains how the Imperium was founded, who currently administers it, and why it is currently in such great danger of collapsing.
The role-playing game Rogue Trader tells an interesting story from Warhammer 40,000:
200 Years to Unite the Imperium
The founding of the Imperium is relatively easy to explain. In the many millennia between now and the 31st millennium, humanity has gone through various ages and endured many wars, sometimes even against the technology created by humans themselves.
During the constant expansion, conflicts logically arose within the realm of humanity. The Emperor, who was referred to differently at that time, sometimes intervened directly in events, and sometimes he just watched.
It became particularly critical towards the end of the 30th millennium in the Age of Strife, or the “Great Betrayal.” As human civilization was on the verge of self-destruction, the Emperor declared a great crusade.
Accompanied by his Thunder Warriors and later the Space Marines, he sought out worlds of humanity for about 200 years to unite them.
One Traitor Almost Ended the Imperium
The crusade ends in the early 31st millennium with the betrayal of Horus, one of the Primarchs of the Space Marines – those super-soldiers regarded as the sons of the Emperor. The “Horus Heresy” fills several books; thus, an attempt at a concise summary:
- Several legions of the Space Marines fell into chaos.
- The war between the Chaos followers and the Imperium almost leads to the downfall of the Imperium.
- In the final battle, the Emperor personally kills Horus but is so severely wounded that he has to embed his shattered body into the Golden Throne.
- This ends the Heresy, and peace slowly returns to the Imperium, which is now leaderless.
To prevent the Imperium from collapsing, Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines, temporarily takes over leadership as Lord Commander of the Imperium. Under him, the Codex Astartes is established, which all Space Marines currently follow.
Over the millennia that follow, the High Senate of Terra, or the Senatorum Imperialis, composed of twelve representatives from the most important organizations of the Imperium, governs.
Imperium Sanctus vs. Imperium Nihilus
At the end of the 41st millennium, a series of events occurs that disturbs the very fabric of reality itself and ultimately literally tears it apart. In the galaxy, there is now an area known as the “Great Rift,” which divides the Imperium:
The Imperium Sanctus is “this” part of the Imperium that is still directly connected to Earth (or “Terra”) and is more or less directly administered from there. Here, order still prevails in the broadest sense.
The Imperium Nihilus is the part of the Imperium behind the Rift, through which almost no human ships can pass. There, the individual worlds are practically on their own.
Consequently, some of the people there think they are the last survivors of their species. They rarely come into contact with forces from the Space Marines or Adepta Sororitas, who remind them that they are not fighting alone.
The Imperium Today: Who is Responsible for What?
Behind the Imperium stands a massive administrative apparatus that is so highly branched that decisions and even emergencies often take years or decades to be resolved. At the same time, the Imperium is too vast to be governed from a single location.
Consequently, there are governors and rogue traders who can act independently within their scope. Several worlds are also simply administered by Space Marines. However, there are some bodies that are important for the entire Imperium:
- The Inquisition stands as the only organization above the law. It protects the integrity of the Imperium, if necessary, with its feared military might.
- The Adeptus Ministorum, or the Ecclesiarchy, forms the church of the Imperium. Its army provides the strongest soldiers of humanity, who can even match the Space Marines.
- The Adeptus Mechanicus handles technological development, the supply of machines and war equipment, and ensures that no one uses technology “incorrectly.”
- The Adeptus Arbites is essentially the judiciary of the Imperium.
- In addition, there are several smaller organizations that belong to the Adeptus Administratum, or the administration, such as:
- the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy
- the Navis Nobilite, which provides navigators, without whom human ships couldn’t navigate in the Warp at all
If you wonder why all the names sound so strange: There is a reason for the strange language in Warhammer 40,000.
However, two important positions are still represented by the rogue traders and the Lord Commander of the Imperium or Adeptus Astartes. Rogue traders are sanctioned spacefarers by the Emperor, whose task is to expand the Imperium at its borders – by any means they deem appropriate.
The Lord Commander stands directly beneath the Emperor and is de facto the sole ruler as long as the Emperor cannot make direct decisions. At the end of the 42nd millennium, or “now,” Roboute Guilliman has claimed this title again to lead the Imperium out of a crisis.
You can also play as a rogue trader in the role-playing game Rogue Trader:
In the Darkness of the Distant Future, There is No Peace
The reason there is constant war in Warhammer is due to the current state of the world. The Imperium is continuously threatened by forces from outside and is at war with xenos races such as Orks and Drukhari. However, the greatest dangers are:
- the Chaos
- Tyranids, a species of all-consuming bugs
- and the Imperium itself
Within the Imperium, a certain degree of corruption has always festered, both concretely through chaos and simply in the form of rebellious groups – such as pirates. That is why there is the saying that only the Imperium can ever bring about the end of the Imperium.
This is one of the reasons why in current events Guilliman has become the new de facto leader. Warhammer 40,000 is already set in the beginning of the 42nd millennium today. Where the world will develop is completely open – but there are already hints: The end of Space Marine 2 could massively influence the future of Warhammer 40,000.
