Editing Warhammer 40,000 8th edition (section)

====General====
*A catastrophic warp storm called the Cicatrix Maledictum has effectively split the Imperium in half, stretching from the [[Eye of Terror]] all the way down to the Hadex Anomaly by [[Macragge]] and the [[Tau Empire]]. It's the damned [[Horus Heresy|Ruinstorm]] all over again!
**However, it appears that the rift is not ''completely'' impassable, as there appear to be two small corridors through it. One over by Belis Corona and the Eye of Terror called the Nachmund Gauntlet, which is currently occupied by a Household of Chaos Knights that hadn't been in contact with the Imperium since the Horus Heresy. The other is down near Cirillo Prime and the Sautekh Dynasty, which is simply called the Temporary Rift Corridor. The exact nature of these corridors is (so far) unclear, though control of them will likely be a big point of contention in the 8th Edition campaigns ([[Age of Sigmar|Realmgates anyone?]]).
*The [[13th Black Crusade]] is still going strong, but Chaos being Chaos means that a lot of the warbands have split off from [[Abaddon|Abaddon's]] main force to pillage nearby undefended worlds. However, this also means his forces have spread rather thin and might not be able to hold onto their new territory- but on the other hand the hordes of daemons pouring out of the Great Rift might mean they don't need to do so.
*The [[Chaos Gods]] have not taken the appearance of the [[Primaris Marines]] very well, and have begun brewing up [[Mary Sue]] Marines of their own powered by Warp energy.
*Nurgle has decided that the realm of Ultramar would look great as a part of his Garden, and so has released several of his nastiest plagues there along with the Death Guard and his Daemons. So far, three star systems around Ultramar have been corrupted, Espandor barely survived, Iax has been overrun by Daemons, and even Macragge is suffering from Chaos-inspired uprisings. Nurgle is sending his three greatest commanders to oversee what has become known to the Imperium as the Plague Wars: [[Typhus]], Ku'Gath Plaguefather, and [[Mortarion]].
**However, it has slowed down somewhat after Khorne (with some coaxing from Tzeentch) invaded the Scourge Stars. Tzeentch and Slaanesh showed up soon afterwards, and yet another bout of infighting was only averted by Tzeentch suggesting a competition between their Champions to decide who gets to rule the Scourge Stars. 
*Unwilling to be outdone by Nurgle, Tzeentch sent out a force of Daemons and Chaos Space Marines led by M'kachen and Magnus the Red to invade the Stygius Sector, home of Mordian and the [[Mordian Iron Guard]]. A crusade force to defend the sector was launched, but was quickly overwhelmed; only the intervention of Craftworld Ulthwe allows the Imperials to evacuate the sector. 
*Disregarding the protests of the other Chaos Gods, Khorne opened a Warp rift above Terra to let in 88 cohorts of his daemons to attack the Imperial Palace, which were driven off by Guilliman, the Custodes, the [[Sisters of Silence]], and the Primaris Marines. Khorne was upset enough by their failure to annihilate the Bloodthirsters assigned to lead the attack, but the fact they managed to attack Terra at all (and killed at least 2k Custodes) has put the Imperium on alert (more so than usual).

*Chaos [[Beastmen (40k)|Beastmen]] are now more prominent, and are being embraced more, with official GW models with various Gor using Chainswords and and an Autopistol, the bounty hunter Gor Half-horn and Tzaangors with Autopistols and Chainswords. So in other words, we may have a Waaagh! but with sheep. <s> Did someone say a Baaah? </s>

*Daemons are not immortal as originally thought; if a Daemon is unable to return to the Warp after its physical form is slain (e.g. due to the presence of the Sisters of Silence or being killed by the Emperor's Sword), its essence will disperse, destroying it entirely. Not even the Daemon Primarchs are immune to this. 
**However, there are supposedly a very small number of Daemons who cannot be destroyed this way, due to fate/casuality/the plot requiring them to be present for "The End".