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Warhammer 40k: Introduction to the Lore
For those that enjoy the science fiction and/or fantasy genres, I would like to take a moment to introduce to you an existing fictional setting that might just be the most entertaining and satisfying universe that you have never heard of, before today.
The science fantasy universe I am referring to is Warhammer 40,000. To fans such as myself, it is more informally known as Warhammer 40k or simply 40k. This universe has been around since the mid 1980s and was designed to be the setting, and provide flavor, for the tabletop miniature wargame for which it is named.
In recent years, the quality of the stories and characters along with the quantity of content being produced has risen quite dramatically. In recent years, Warhammer 40k has seen increased attention and continues to watch its fan base grow. The “Lore” of 40k looks poised to continue to mature, draw increased engagement, and has potential to become a mainstream science fantasy franchise. I wanted to spread the word, as this universe has a unique setting, diverse characters and contains wonderfully engaging tales.
Full Disclosure: I am also hoping its popularity increases enough to warrant an attempt at producing a blockbuster-level Warhammer 40k movie. I am thinking, every little bit helps.
I have put together an introduction to the Warhammer 40k universe below which is followed by a short spotlight of the main participant groups. Additional resources and content are included, for those of you that find this setting as entertaining as I do. I have been a fan of 40k since around 2016 and love passing along its lore and introducing people to its dark wonder.
There is a very good chance I will be including 40k in future releases, please let me know if there is a topic you would like to see or have any questions about the lore or where to find it.
An overview of the narrative and tone of the setting
Warhammer 40k is built around a tabletop wargame, as mentioned in the introduction, and as such its foundations are based around the concept of war. It is set in a dystopian and grimdark universe where humanity is engaged in an eternal war for their own survival against multiple external and internal threats. There is certainly no shortage of dark themes embedded all throughout the lore. And with war being central to the setting, topics such as military structure and strategic warfare are prevalent and many stories include depictions of military operations and full-scale battle scenes. Overall, the lore has also been described as “Pulp Fiction” for its gritty portrayal of its characters and for the visceral reactions that can be had from any number of its stories.
The setting takes place in the far future of the 41st millennium within our own Milky Way galaxy. The galaxy is filled with monstrous and deadly beings that have placed themselves into competing factions all vying for supremacy. These factions consist of humans, various alien races, and groups of daemonic or supernatural entities. The human empire, named the Imperium of Man, has claimed dominion over the galaxy but is beset on all sides by countless threats.
The Imperium is a vast, authoritarian regime that spans countless planets with its capital on Holy Terra (Earth). The Imperium is ruled by the God-Emperor of Mankind, a psychic entity who has been interred on the Golden Throne, a life-sustaining device, for the past 10,000 years. Over those hundred centuries the Imperium regressed further into superstition, fanaticism and violence while their near-limitless armies fought tirelessly to maintain control against their enemy factions.
These enemy factions consist of xenos races such as Orks, Eldar, and Tau along with supernatural ones that are directed by the malevolent Chaos Gods and include their daemonic minions and mortal cultist followers. By the 41st millennium, the entire galaxy was engulfed in perpetual violence and unending war where no factions are allied, no one can be considered the “good team”, and everyone is simply fighting for their own survival.
A nightmarish galaxy ravaged by war with all factions trapped in an endless cycle of brutality against one another becomes the narrative backbone for the setting in 40k. The Chaos Gods add considerable weight to this narrative being hostile god-like entities actively trying to corrupt and consume the entire material universe. This leaves the factions, whether they fully understand the situation or not, with no hope for an ultimate victory and no hope for finding any kind of redemption. All they can do is rage against the dying of the light and wait for the moment when their group’s preverbal Doomsday Clock finally hits midnight.
Within this narrative exists an ability to create a contrast between dark and ever-present themes that make this universe different from many of the more mainstream science fantasy settings. Each story almost universally covers themes such as struggle, misery, and despair. But they also include themes of brotherhood, duty, sacrifice, perseverance and the strength of one’s spirit in the face of overwhelming dread. Rarely will you find a story containing any traditional “hero’s journey” and “happy endings” are non-existent, as the setting tells tales about individuals existing in an unimaginably cruel and uncaring place and simply trying to survive for one more day.
40k has a long successful history of dystopian grimdark storytelling and the settings creator, Games Workshop (GW), has no plans to change this aspect of the setting. Warhammer 40K contains a rich and expansive lore, filled with intricate details, epic battles, and complex characters. It can be found within a vast array of novels, short stories, game materials (Codices), and other media. For fans of dark science fiction and strategic warfare that have not yet looked into this amazing universe this might come as a pleasant surprise, as 40k contains over 30 years of unbridled grimdark and might just be a match made in heaven.
Note: Warhammer 40k also includes stories from a previous time frame set 10,000 years earlier in 30k. All stories and lore from this earlier time period are included as part of the Horus Heresy storyline. The Horus Heresy depicts the rise of the Emperor of Mankind, the creation of the Imperium of Man, and culminates with a galactic civil war that tears the galaxy and the empire apart. The result is a pyrrhic victory for the Imperium but is the noted starting point for its eventual future demise.
Spotlight on the key factions
One of the most iconic elements of Warhammer 40K is the presence of the Space Marines. They are genetically enhanced superhuman soldiers created from the gene-seed of the Primarchs, the twenty mythical sons of the Emperor (the God-Emperor of Mankind). Each Space Marine represents a specific Chapter, each of whom have their own name and customs, and they serve as the vanguard of the Imperium, acting as shock or assault troops, fighting in the most dangerous battles.
Chaos Space Marines also exist, and their ranks are made up of traitorous Space Marines who have turned to the service of the Chaos Gods and no longer serve the Imperium. The Chaos Gods exist in a parallel mirror universe to our own (Immaterium, Warp) and are fueled by the emotions of sentient life in the Milky Way galaxy through their souls. In this setting, Hell is real, there are 4 Satans (not just one), and all of them are actively seeking your soul.
There are also various xenos races, each with their own distinct characteristics and motivations. The Eldar, a dwindling ancient psychic race, recently having gone through a catastrophic fall, have separated into multiple sub-factions each with their own unique identities, seeking to preserve their fragile existence (think Tolkienesque Space Elves). The Orks, a highly aggressive and warlike race, revel in battle and seek to conquer everything in their path (think Tolkienesque Space Orcs). The Tau, a relatively new race, strive for the greater good and attempt to unite other species under their empire.
The Necrons, another ancient race, are non-organic beings (i.e. robots) that are slowly awakening from a very long hibernation and are acclimating to the new galaxy under their respective dynasty. Additionally, there are the Tyranids, an extragalactic species of ravenous bug-like creatures that exist as a hivemind and consume all organic matter they encounter.
The Imperium also includes a sub-empire called the Mechanicus, who are centrally administered from Mars. The Mechanicus is responsible for guarding the knowledge required to maintain and construct much of the Imperium’s advanced technology and is the sole supplier for scientists, engineers and technicians through the human empire.
Lore resource recommendations
One of the best ways to get you started on learning about the lore is to visit one of the major wikis and go to town. I would start on the home page or faction’s home page and then as you finish a topic use the embedded links in the text to jump around the site.
The Fandom and Lexicanum are good resources for someone new to the lore.
I have also found that Reddit is a pretty good place to learn the lore. There is a subreddit, named 40kLore, dedicated specifically and only to that subject.
Reddit – Unofficial Home of 40k on Reddit (r/Warhammer40k)
Below is a timeline for the entire 40k universe and is an excellent resource.
Timeline of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe | Warhammer 40k Wiki | Fandom
If you decide you want to take a closer look at some actual source materials of 40k, I recommend going straight to the Black Library website linked below. The entire 40k catalog is on display and available and also includes a number of bundled specials, especially for older book sets.
Black Library – Warhammer 40,000
Introductory / opening scroll for the setting
I have found one of the best places to start with 40k is with its well-known opening scroll that was released by Black Library, who is the literary arm of Games Workshops. It communicates the general tone of the setting well and provides background and history on the main protagonist faction.
“It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor of Mankind has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods and master of a million worlds by the might of His inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the vast Imperium of Man for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day so that He may never truly die.
Yet even in His deathless state, the Emperor continues His eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. Vast armies give battle in His name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst His soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defense forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat to humanity from aliens, heretics, mutants — and far, far worse.
To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.”
If you enjoyed this write-up and/or enjoy lore in general, check out our lore write-up on the Xeelee Sequence. Written by Stephen Baxter, the Xeelee Sequence is a sprawling sci-fi epic that is cosmic in scale and endless in scope.
