Editing Warhammer 40K: Darktide (section)

==Story==
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta7pEier2MQ Writing] Brought to you by motherfucking [[Dan Abnett]], with help from your favorite [[Spiritual Liege]], [[Matthew  Ward]]<ref>https://twitter.com/thetowerofstars/status/1512480226651295744</ref> ([[FAIL|It's all outside-of-game though, so there's that...]])

The game takes place on the Hive World of [[Atoma Prime]], where a group of [[Nurgle]] worshipping assholes called '''The Admonition''' are plotting to take over the planet from the hive city of '''Tertium''' with the extensive use of pox gases, converting the infected to their side as [[Poxwalkers]]. Thankfully (or not), one Inquisitor Grendyl has come to cleanse the heretical arsehole. Instead of [[exterminatus|doing the mercy killing]], or calling [[Adeptus Astartes|911]], the inquisitor believes the situation is still somewhat salvageable. Scooping out the convicts they've collected [[The Last Chancers|(not for the first time)]], giving them weapons and throwing them to the meat grinder, hopefully they could find out what the hell is going on while purging some fucking heretics.

According to the devblog, the true antagonist is a concept known as the '''Darktide''' (roll credits!), a boogeyman threat that must be kept at bay, or so the people of Atoma Prime believe. In fact, it is a collective term referring to the brutal horrors of the Warhammer 40,000 universe:  mutants, xenos, and worse - who want nothing more than to extinguish the fluttering flame of human civilization. The young people recruited to regiments like the Moebian Sixth have no idea where they’re being sent, or what they will face. They are as ignorant of the "Darktide" as any other regular citizen, for they were all citizens themselves. Out on the death worlds of the Fringe, the lasmen are thrown into the meat grinder and come face to face with unimaginable danger. Their world-view changes. They learn the nature of the Darktide and fight it tooth and nail. Sometimes, they learn too much. Long tours result in trauma, both physical and psychological. Some are broken by the experience. Some are made bitter and resentful that the grueling combat they experience is generally unrecognized back home, because the Imperial Administratum tends to keep all details of the ongoing conflict quiet so as not to generate public alarm. There might be a few news broadcasts about "great victories", but the rest of the turmoil is screened by propaganda. Some troopers, of course, serve brilliantly and bravely, and remain loyal despite everything they experience. But others fall prey to the insidious touch of the Darktide. They encounter the malevolent effect of the Warp, and it changes them. They become - literally, in some cases - the very thing they are fighting against.

In summary, the Darktide is basically Nurgle's way of weaponizing PTSD, throwing Imperial troops into a meat grinder to break their spirits and then brainwashing them to become one with the grinder themselves. It is no wonder why [[Adeptus Astartes]] were not sent. One can see some rather unnerving parallels with what happened to the [[Iron Warriors]] and how the their endless campaigns of grueling siege warfare caused them to snap and turn to Chaos.  Or [[Indomitus Crusade|maybe the Astartes were just busy elsewhere]], [[Lamenters|some]] [[Legion of the Damned|chapters]] have gone through worse without flipping sides and the Age of the Dark Imperium has no shortage of threats that demand their attention. 

And that's where our heroes, the convicts come in. They are invaluable yet expendable. Your player character's sorry ass is caught in the middle of a heretic attack on their cell. With the chance to go free, they instead go back and choose to fight for the Imperium. Whether they're Ogryns, guard veterans, fanatics of the Imperial Creed, or Psykers, they are the hardest meat the Imperium could send en masse, ready to purge the enemies of the Imperium with their remarkable abilities.

'''''The Rejects Will Rise!'''''

...unfortunately, for the game's ''actual'' narrative such as it is right now, well, the best we can say about it is that it doesn't look poorly on whoever actually wrote it because they were clearly told something to the extent of "There is no time or budget for anything more substantial, please write down the in-game narrative on this side of this napkin that was folded in half twice. [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer|DO NOT WRITE ON ANY OTHER SIDE ON PAIN OF DEATH.]]" The in-game cutscenes consist of recruiting your reject after you and Zola escape the prison ship you were on getting attacked by the Moebian Sixth, introducing the various NPCs who all tell you to get back to fucking work on missions you layabout, getting told there's a traitor aboard who's leaking information, and then Rannick summoning you and thanking you for your part in the warband after publically killing the traitor. [[Derp|That's literally it]]. Yeah neither of the [[Vermintide]] games didn't have too much of a narrative either, but it was ''still'' more than that. Hopefully, more writing will come out of the game in time as more content releases much like [[Vermintide 2]], but as it is right now, do '''not''' expect to care much for the game's narrative right now unless you're the sort that's addicted to coming up with stuff for [[Your Dudes]].