Humanity reaches for the stars The New Man realized the latent psychic potential of the human race and the threat posed to them by the warp entities. He also came to realize that it was near impossible to prevent the highly attuned human psyche from conflict. As nations and races grew and warred for supremacy, the malign chaos powers in the warp became stronger, fed constantly by the psychic turmoil of conflict, deceit and disease. The New Man thus took on many roles and identities to minimize these effects and to direct humanity's technological advancements. As a consequence of the scientific advancements under the unseen direction of the New Man humanity began to head out in to space in the 15th millennium. Using early sub-light engines, travel was painstakingly slow, taking up to ten generations to reach and colonise other systems. With the constant direction and advice by the New Man behind the scenes, human scientists discovered warp engine technology in the 20th millennium. In parallel to this, massive computerised databases called Standard Template Constructs were also developed. These STCs could be the basis to produce everything a colony needed from food to weapons using locally available raw materials. Both these developments, pioneered subtly by the New man, revolutionised space expeditions resulting in an enormous expansion of space farers. It is around this same time a new "Navigator" gene developed in human society. This gene resulted in their owners being blind but being able to see and feel the tides and flow of the warp. The navigator gene allowed them to steer space vessels within the warp very accurately enabling longer and more accurate warp jumps. As a consequence Navigator families and cartels become very powerful, controlling trade and communications between systems. The New Man had thus directed the human society's scientific development in readiness for the coming of the Navigator gene. This was one of the early great steps towards the creation of the Imperium of Man and an excellent example of the long term designs of the New Man. Thus followed a golden age of scientific exploration and expansion. A massive explosion of human colonization of the known space occurs as humanity pushes back the frontiers of space. The Age of Strife (25th millennium) In the early period of the 25th millennium, termed the age of strife by contemporary scholars, the emperor remained in the background, gently guiding humanity as they reach the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Alien races were encountered, especially the ubiquitous orks, and localised conflicts break out. Order is maintained by commerce and communication through the warp. Commerce and trade from the colonies sustains the civilization on earth. Then two events of enormous significance occurred concurrently. First, humans with psychic ability begin to appear on many worlds across the galaxy. The human race was not yet aware of nor were they ready to tap the potential of the warp. With no training and experience, the minds of these latent psykers were an open gateway to the warp leading to daemonic possession and insanity. Civilizations across the human empire began to fall because of such rogue psykers. It is in this period that the Eldar race had reached its full psychic potential. Having achieved the ultimate in scientific, cultural and psychic development, the majority of the race looked elsewhere for fulfillment. Apart from a few far-sighted individuals, the bulk of Eldar society descended in to debased cults and activities, unknowingly feeding their own doom. Their lust for pleasure was amplified by their strong psychic presence in the warp and these currents began to coalesce in to another focus. The Eldar race was unwittingly creating another chaos entity. The tremors of its slow growth began to result in colossal disturbances in the warp, producing massive warp storms, which erupted across the galaxy. This turmoil cut of and prevented most systems from each other. No communication was possible as warp travel first became perilous and then altogether impossible. This age of strife lasted from the 26th millennium to the 31st. During these five thousand years the ancient pan-galactic human civilisation of the past broke down and was replaced by many thousands of local civilisations based around either a single solar system or, occasionally, a small cluster of nearby stars. During the Age of Strife Earth and the other planets of the Terran solar system were unable to communicate with other human worlds, but maintained contact with each other. For much of this period the government of Earth held sway over the entire system, at other times Mars and the Moon were dominant. For much of the time the different worlds found themselves at war. During the 28th millennium Earth government broke down completely and the planet divided into dozens of inter-warring nations. After two and a half thousand years of continuous warfare little remained of the once sophisticated civilisation of the past. The planet had become a battleground fought over by techno-barbarian warlords and their warrior hordes. This was a dark time for the people of Earth. A time dominated by brutal rulers like Kalagann of Ursh, Cardinal Tang, and the most infamous of all, the half-mad half-genius Narthan Dume Tyrant of the Panpacific Empire. It was against this background of techno-barbaric warfare that the New Man finally shed his cover and began to lead his people openly. Conquest of the Solar System With the mighty psychic powers, immortal physique and the combined intelligence provided by the thousands of Shamans who pooled their psychic powers to create him, the New Man now stepped in to his role as a warlord intent on conquering earth and then the solar system. When the Emperor began his conquest of the planet his retinue was equipped and armed in the same way as the troops of other warlords. The first Space Marines formed part of that retinue and were equipped with the same sort of armour as other warriors of the time. The techno-barbaric state of science lent itself to the creation of early genetically modified warriors and the first prototypes of powered personal armour. Thus the first Space Marines were created and the first Space Marine Armour type developed during the conquest of earth. Personally leading these genetically enhanced warriors, who would subsequently form the first spacemarine legion, the New Man conquers all who opposed him on earth and then on all the planets of the Solar system. The tech-priests of Mars subjugate themselves to his will, awed by his intricate knowledge of the arts of the machine god. After bringing the Solar system under his control the New Man ascends the throne and has since been known only as the Emperor of Man. With the Solar system well and truly under his control, and still cut off from the rest of the galaxy by warp storms, the process of rebuilding the civilization is put in to motion. The tech adepts of Mars begin the process of rearming humanity. Their forges and armouries work constantly to produce every weapon conceivable to support the emperor's plans. Genetic engineering is further developed to enhance the emperor's warriors. new, space capable armour is created in preparation for subsequent space conquests. The Adeptus Astra telepathica was established to train and sanction psykers in the ways of the warp. A massive underground base was built in the Himalayas range, containing the psychic conduit necessary to project the Astronomicon. This was a psychic beacon, maintained by a choir of a thousand psykers, which would emit a psychic beacon in to the warp, to allow navigators a site of reference for safe and accrate warp travel. |
APOCRYPHA CALIBAN |
This entire section is one attempt to describe the long history of the Dark Angels in a linear form. Every known piece of history and event based on GW publications has been written in my own words and linked together in a reasonably plausible manner by additional fiction. This is in no way the official GW version nor is it in anyway an attempt to infringe on their IP. There are many versions of imperial history buried within the sands of time and this is but just one of them. Read on if you dare! |
CHAPTER ONE THE EARLY YEARS Chronicled By ( Shadow Guard ) |
