Laying Down The Lore: Warhammer 40K

In this episode we dive into all things Genestealery. From their hallowed origins in the pages of Rogue Trader to their first appearance in plastic as the enemy within Space Hulks. He look at the early army lists and methods of deploying their associated cults, including chaos cults. We then explore how communities become infected with the Genestealer Cults and they types of worlds such cults can thrive upon.

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In this episode we sashay into the topic of Harlequin Troupes, masters of the webway, balletic violence and protectors of the Black Library. We explore their evolution, tactics and purpose. We look at the Death Jesters, Shadow Seers and Solitaires and their abilities. We close out the episode with a fun-time chat about the role they will play in the end of all things.

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In this episode we veeeeeery carefully look at the webway city of Commorragh and its inhabitants, the Drukhari. We explore their origins and the formation and expansion of their dreaded city. We look at the 3 main power groups; Drukhari Kabals, Wych Cults, and Haemonculus Covens, and the ruler of the city, Asdrubael Vect.

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In our first Eldar ? *cough* pardon me. In our first Aeldari episode we look at the history of this once majestic race. Originally pitched and branded as ?Space Elves? we move from their origins as space pirates to the fateful issue of White Dwarf 127 where Craftworlds appeared fully formed. We dive into the quagmire of their fall and perhaps spend a bit too much time focused on the Death Orgy phase. We take a gander at Aspect Warriors, the significance of the Path system and the role Aeldari psykers play in their leadership. We close out the episode with an examination of the Exodites, those Aeldari who fled The Fall and sought a more arboreal lifestyle.  

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In this episode we follow the fate of those legions that fell to Chaos during the Horus Heresy. We briefly describe the events of 10,000 years for all nine before turning our attention to their evolving organisation and their Daemon Primarchs and the Arch-Warlord, Abaddon the Despoiler. We summarise the campaigns of the despoiler, the Black Crusades. We then pivot to explore the fates of a series of once loyal chapters of space marines that fall of Chaos and the reasons they did so, specifically the Astral Claws of the Badab War. Finally, we look at the innumerable Chaos Space Marine warbands that plague the Imperium at large, their structure, motivations and tactics.

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In this episode we explore the concepts and manifestations of Chaos, the Primordial Truth. In turn we examine the four malevolent warp entities that plague all of the races in the galaxy, the Gods of Chaos; Slaanesh, Nurgle, Khorne, and Tzeentch. We detail their purviews, powers, and pantheons as well as their capacity to influence the galaxy.   We look into the Lost and the Damned, the cults and warbands of formerly loyal servants of the emperor and how they were corrupted and fooled into worshiping the dark gods. Finally turn our attention to the Eye of Terror, the largest incursion of chaos energy in the galaxy where the fabric of reality is torn open and the raw stuff of chaos washes over entire systems of planets.

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What is life like on an Imperium World? To answer this question we focus on the storied world of Necromunda. We take a look at the planet as a whole before concentrating on the ?capital? of the Palatine Hive. We look at the social hierarchy and the lives of the planet?s rulering power, House Helmwar. We then descend through the hive exploring the lives of the citizens be they from the Great Houses, Clan Houses or the ever-present Mercator guilds. At each level of society we discuss the responsibilities expected (imposed) on them and how the society provides for them. We close out with a list of threats and dangers that arise from such a society and how that is multiplied across the stagnant Imperium of man.

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In this episode we take a look at the history and structure of the Adeptus Custodes, the elite cadre of genetically-engineered transhuman warriors who serve as the bodyguards of the Emperor of Mankind. We look at their use through the time of the Imperium and their new role as part of the Indomitus crusade. Next, we very carefully approach the Sisters of Silence, an all-female force of Pariahs charged with the capture and transport of the that most dangerous of mutants, the Psyker. We move on to a discussion on the Legion of the Damned, those mysterious flame clad space marines who may or may not be positive Daemons. We then take a look at the some of the most confusing  mysteries ranging from the Emperors Tarot and the Crystalline Lorelei to the Ordo Chronos and the fabled Omega Vault.

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In our second episode on the Adeptus Astartes we look at the more ?specialist? forces of the Adeptus Astartes. We first look at more specific foundings, and their confusing order, and their requirements changed to fit a new darker imperium, such as the Exorcists, and examine the motivations in their creation. We pause briefly to discuss awful sounding words before looking towards the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos as they formed and use the Astartes of the Death Watch, a Xenos killing force to which chapters second a handful of brothers at a time. Finally, seeing their origins in the later years of the Horus Heresy, the Grey Knights are laid bare as a force of Daemon hunting warriors built to help humanity withstand the post-heresy enemies the Imperium would face.

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In our first episode on the Adeptus Astartes we start with a look at birth of the modern Space marine chapter; The Codex Astartes and the Second Founding. We dig into what is involved in founding a Space Marine Chapter and what organisational structure each Codex Chapter and its companies. We examine the iconic arms, armour, and vehicles of the Astartes. We then turn from creation to maintenance and look at the recruitment processes of established chapters including the trials, Gene-Seed, and conditioning that is common to all chapters. We then turn our attention to the most recent innovation, the Primaris Space Marines and the Ultima Founding, focusing on the three classes: Awoken, Indoctrinated, and Ascended. We close out with a look at some of the more famous Chapters and their deviation from the codex Astartes.

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In this episode we look at the kingdom within the Imperium, the techno-feudal sociopaths of the Adeptus Mechanicus. We delve into their origins, their motivations, their love for the knee-healing Emperor, and their fall from grace during the heresy. We look at their political status with the Imperium and their hate/hate relationship with the Ecclesiarchy. We briefly examine their hierarchy and the stratified expertise the four great Magos Schola that informs their endeavours. We then dive into their methods of war, their troops and the esoteric warmachine that are totally not used to regain the power of the STCs. Finally, we take a gander at the fearsome Knights and Titans that so define the Adeptus Mechanicus.

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The Imperium Part #3 - The Military. We take a broad and expansive peek at the the Imperial Guard AKA the Astra Militarum AKA cannon fodder. We look at the composition and formation of the Regiments and briefly discuss some of the more famous units and regiments, all under the watchful eyes of a Commissar. We look askew at the noble yet filthy abhumans that serve alongside the true human warriors of the militarum and then turn to the armoured fists of the humanity, Tanks! (you're welcome). Leaving the foot-sloggers planetside we take a gander at the majestic warmachines of the Imperial Navy where Cral gets lost in the hulls, classifications and general romance of void based warfare. We close out the episode with a furtive glance at the shadowed killers of the Officio Assassinorum ... or do we? ...

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The Imperium Part #2 - The Faithful. In this episode we look at the perfectly reasonable and not at all fascist faithful of the Imperium of Man. Starting with the Ecclesiarchy, AKA Space Church, we look at the history and structure of the Cult Imperialis and just how many imperial institutions it has tendrils in.  We turn to the Ecclesiarchy?s  militant arm the Adepta Soroitas. We delve into the history and structure of the Sisters of Battle and their many devious and horrific war machines. Finally, we briefly explore perhaps the most powerful institution within and without the Imperium, The Emperor?s Inquisition. These supreme investigators have the authority to kill worlds and raise armies for endless campaigns against the threats to humanity.

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The unbridled excitement of the Imperial Bureaucracy. In this episode, the first of an 8 part look at the contemporary Imperium, we look at the unsung heroes and objectively horrific villains that keep the Imperium ticking. We dissect this bureaucracy into 5 parts;  The Adeptus Terra, the Astronomican, The Navigators, The Rogue Traders and the Adeptus Arbites. We look at how each is formed, what they do and, with extreme oversimplification, how they do it. Along the way Cral once again identifies with the downtrodden proletariat of Psykers (we?re keeping an eye on him) and Ben fancies himself a bit of a rogue trading Navigator.

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The second part of our extreme summary of the Horus heresy looks at three major conflicts that defined, in part at least, the course of the war. The Battle of Molech sees a knight house turn traitor at the best (or worst) moment and Horus is re-re-born? again? The battle of Tallarn, where Peter Barro, Primarch of the Iron Warriors seeks the Black Occulous and destroys a world. The battle of Beta-Garmon AKA the Titan Death sees the blunting of the forces of both sides in a campaign that Von Caultwitz would have been proud of. Finally we look at the solar war and the siege of terra and its immediate aftermath.

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In this episode ? TREACHERY! The Horus Heresy begins in earnest as we look at the events that lead to it, if your name is Davin we don?t like you. We look at the destructive warning of Magnus, who may or may not have done anything wrong, and the subsequent purging of Prospero by the Space Wolves. We explore the background for and the events of both the Isstvan III atrocity and the dropsite massacre of Isstvan V. We close out the episode with an examination of the diabolical Betrayal at Calth where the Wordbearers avenge their wounded pride against the Ultramarines. We also learn that Dhar confuses Millions and Billions on a regular basis.

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In this episode we look at the main players between the Unification War and the end of the Great Crusade. We discuss the origins and actions of the Emperor from his birth to the conquering of Terra and his understandable, but objectionable, culling of the warriors that got him there. We explore the role that Primarchs play, even after their disappearance, and the birth of the Legiones astartes, the iconic Space Marines. Finally we look at the launch of the Great Crusade and the rediscovery of the Primarchs, together with a brief example of how their experiences on their adoptive planets informed their way of making war.

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In this episode, we take a summarising stroll through thirty thousand years of human history. Starting with the Age of Terra we discuss the diaspora of humanity and the generational ships they used. The Age of Technology sees the advent of warp travel, the "coincidental" birth of Navigators and the ultimate collapse of the interstellar human empire thanks, in part, to the AI-fuelled pogroms of the Men of Iron. The Age of Strife, or Old Night, is covered as the horror of a post-apocalyptic stellar empire is explored. We then turn our eyes back to Terra and the not-at-all genocidal Unification war of the Emperor of Man.

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In this episode we look at the Galaxy within which 40K is set, our own Milky Way A.K.A Gerald. We explore the 3 ?realities? that share the space and discuss the importance of psychic lighthouses. We next discuss the administrative area of the Imperium of Man, the 5 Segmentae and their locations. Finally, we look at the classifications of planets and their biomes, civilisation level, and use. Despite what Dhar says? it?s a lot.

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This episode has two goals. The first is to detail the expansive change in the game since the mid 90s, from 3rd to 9th edition. We examine each edition in turn and look at the arrival of new factions and races together with game-play innovations. Dhar discusses how the inconsistencies and gaps within the setting have been weaved together to form a holistically, though perhaps subjectively, perfect setting with an incredibly detailed timeline. Our second goal is to give Cral an information based aneurysm.

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In this, our second episode we look at the first two editions of Warhammer 40K. The setting launched with Rogue Trader where the setting was very much ?of its time?, mid to high sci-fi with a comic book feel and the most convoluted, perhaps even fractured, ruleset which Dhar still loves. We explore the many ways in which the game evolved and look at the key releases and books. Second edition brought the lore to heel and brought in changes that made game-play much faster. This edition codified the lore of the 40K universe and introduced a cohesive historic storyline and ongoing narrative.

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Welcome to this, our first episode! What is this? What are we trying to do? Dhar begins with trying to encapsulate the past 40(ish) years of Warhammer 40K. We look at the explosion of content from the first, comedy named including, edition to the apocalyptic levels of lore that have been used to populate the setting. What inspired the universe, *cough* Dune *cough* Hawkmoon *cough*, and what or who is the Emperor? We ask Dhar about getting into the hobby and his favourite aspects of the lore.

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The upcoming LDTL: 40K series in a nutshell.