In the grim future of Warhammer 40,000, humanity has established a galactic empire. However, among the countless planets under its control, four are particularly important – including one that has already been destroyed.
Warhammer 40,000 is set in the dark future of our own world. Humanity has built a galactic empire in the 41st millennium that spans countless planets. At the top of everything sits the Emperor, who is both the founder and god-like ruler.
“Countless” planets doesn’t mean that we were just too lazy to count: No one really knows how big the empire is. It could encompass several million planets or even billions. But even among endless worlds, there are four that are particularly important to humanity.
We will show you which worlds these are and what makes them special. As our source for all the lore, we used the Lexicanum. This is a fan-created online wiki, but the entries rely on official material from Games Workshop and licensed partners.
Mars
The name is not just a reference, it really refers to the Red Planet from our solar system. In the 41st millennium, it has become a holy place for the human empire.
Already in the 22nd century, Mars was made habitable through terraforming and subsequently settled by industrial cartels. Very soon, the planet developed into the first hive world of the empire, one of many so-called “Hive Worlds”. On such planets, billions of people live packed densely in gigantic cities, often under dystopian conditions.
Mars became a center for industry and scientific advancement. It is also the home of the powerful Adeptus Mechanicus. This is an imperial cult that worships the Emperor as the Omnissiah – a manifestation of the Machine God.
The Adeptus Mechanicus provides the empire not only with the best engineers and powerful weapons but also holds a monopoly on all technological knowledge used in the empire. If Mars were to be destroyed, it would deal a catastrophic blow to the forces of humanity.
