MedHammer 40,000
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"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” 10,000 years ago there was war. War with great heroes, with battles of mighty warriors and fantastic ships, awe-inspiring citadels to defend and even more awesome weapons to destroy them. But there was a sense that war was not the sole state of the galaxy. Indeed, as the armies of Chaos, the servants of the Emperor and the aliens fought each other, they fought for the sake of a destiny that, however faintly, could be seen. The future is here. Wars have boundaries, wars have battles and wars have ends. The remaining dwellers of the galaxy have no dreams of Greater Goods.
The initial premise for MidHammer(/MedHammer) is that it was a softer version of grimdark: grimlight. Though in view of how the setting has developed (see for example the Martian Heresy), that premise has turned out to be mostly bullshit and a failed goal. It's assumed that the phenomenal Shape of The Nightmare to Come is what will happen to the Warhammer universe, more or less. Humanity will have more psychic and spiritual weapons at its disposal, rather than those talents being suppressed as in 40k.
Key Differences
Chaos Very Much Divided
Tzeentch claims victory against the Emperor. As Lorgar pleads and works tirelessly to keep the Chaos Undivided movement alive, the Chaos Gods look inward and against each other. Tzeentch and Nurgle both have offered their aid to the Eldar against Slaanesh, and have fostered small but thriving cults which are looking for salvation against Slaanesh. Lorgar's school of Chaos Undivided will be significantly less monolithic. Lorgar and those under his control will live under his theocracy, but the Exclusivites and Ahrimanists will not participate in his movement. Luther and Ahriman's Imperium Undivided present itself as a robust ideological alternative to Lorgar's "Faces of the Divine" Chaos Undivided. The "minor" fifth Chaos God Malal has recently grown greater in power, representing a sort of schizophrenic anti-warp, anti-chaotic mentality.
Multiplicity of religions
The multiplicity of religions offers a lot of opportunities for ideological differences. In MidHammer, the Vlka Fenrika, Promethian Cult, and Aurelian Cult of Ultramar all have a presence in the Imperium, as well as several more ancient religions. Each "Spiritual Liege" in the Aurelian Cult is essentially its own denomination or Fiqh with sometimes vastly different theologies. (Yes, I'm aware that Fiqh is a school of jurisprudence, not theology. Still relevant to the discussion, as each Spiritual Liege often have legal and moral making power as well.)
Xenos ideologies
The Ynnari are just as much a political ideological movement as they are a religious cult. They've forced the followers of Cegorach and Khaine to organize themselves along similar lines. The Farseers themselves will begin to become a political movement in a similar way to how the Constitutionalistas in the Mexican Civil war did, or the "Presbyterians" did in the English Civil War.
The T'au are significantly more radical in MidHammer.
Greater Emphasis on the Guard
Space Marines are rare and distrusted by some. Sanguinius leads a small, agile army in the Blood Crusades against Lorgar. The Space Marines of the Segmentarchs aid in the administration of their Segmentums.
Romanticism
As horrific as the Heresy was, to those of the 41st millennium it will seem like a battle of heroes and a clash of good vs evil.
Divergent Epochs
This represents a timeline of divergent epochs & major events in the MidHammer 40k universe. Each epoch will have different powers at their prime. Technology, armor and factions will change as civilization advances.
- Epoch 1 (M25-M35) The False Age of Chaos
When the timeline divulges from that of vanilla 40k. Eldar destroyed, Age of Strife, Great Crusade, The Great Treachery "False Age" because it was supposed to be Chaos' promised era, but that was denied. Chaos was at its strongest during this time, yet the Imperium weathered the onslaught of Chaos.
- Epoch 2 (M35-M45) The Second Age of Eldar/Age of T'au
The Imperium fights on, but loses ground to the T’au, the Yndari, the Raven, and the now treacherous Mars. The Primarchs hold out hope for their father’s recovery and force their enemies to pay dearly for every planet taken, with rips forming in the Imperium's middle. At one point Terra will come close to the edge of annihilation.
- Epoch 3 (M45-M53) "The False Age of Man"
Tzeentch will supposedly be "killed" by the Aurelian & the Chaos Gods will be brought to heel. Humanity will be united. The Eldar and their allies will be embroiled in the disaster of their own creation. Humanity should be victorious, but this will be little more than the calm before the storm. When the storm comes, it will come fiercely.
- Epoch 4 (M53-M60) "The Age of The Consumed"
The Imperium of Man will be no more. As the Segmentum Solar falls, the Emperor, who will then be known as "the Warlord", will with his remaining Primarchs make their last stand in Dorn's so-called "fortress" Segmentum. The Imperium itself was metaphorically tossed aside. The few remaining dregs of humanity that survive this cataclysm will take on grotesque and bizarre forms.
- Epoch 5 (M60-M70) The Last War in Heaven
The "Forces of Good" will need every ounce of strength they have to face off against the true threats to the Milky Way.
Xenos in M41
When the 2nd epoch comes to a close, the forces of Chaos will be spent, drained, and outmaneuvered. Lorgar and Luther will struggle to hold their causes together, as they become surrounded by few friends and ever increasing enemies. It'll become clear that the war with Chaos was a fight for who would represent humanity in the upcoming fight. With enemies looking for blood, including the Tau, resurgent Eldar, Orks, Tyranids and Necrons, the Imperium will quickly buckle and lose ground.
The Eldar
As the Craftworld Eldar tend to their fraying truce with the Imperium or resort to underhanded tactics, a new generation of Eldar has rallied behind calls for a restoration of the Eldar empire. These Eldar have observed the Imperium's successes against the Forces of Chaos as proof not only of the potential for victory against Chaos, but also as proof of the ineffectiveness and failing leadership of the Craftworld Eldar. While in the canonical setting the quest for Ynnead is welcomed by many Craftworlds, here the Ynnari movement becomes openly hostile to other Craftworlds and their leadership. The Ynnari are far more fanatical and ruthless than in the standard setting, nor do they have love for humanity. To them, the Craftworlds stand in the way of a Great Eldar resurgence.
Craftworlds are on the lookout for Ynnari assassins and thieves, who kill major leaders and steal relics and soulstones. Under Yvraine, the chosen champion of Ynnead, the Ynnari hope to overthrow what they view as corrupt, quibbling, and decadent leadership among the Eldar and Drukhari, and replace Craftworld governments with Ynnead-appointed leaders.
The T'au
The T'au Empire possess highly advanced weapons but rely on their Eldar "allies" for aid in traveling vast distances.
The T'au have seen many different Ethereals who unite them — from the original, now-purged Ethereals, to an era of Water Caste government, to the rise of Commander Puretide, and the increasing dominance of the Fire Caste. Under O'shasanuk'la the T'au have carved swaths of the Ultima Segmentum and are now circling the borders of Ultramar.
NOTE: Lore check — points need attention
Commander Puretide is a known character (Aun'va? Commander Puretide is less common — "Aun'Va" is the Ethereal), and the timeline of caste dominance :(Water, Fire) and the phrase "rise of Commander Puretide" may not line up with established lore.
Stories
I'm working on this still, just much more slowly.
- The Golden Honey: Angron and Lotarra brace for a figure's return.
- What Use is the Present? MedHammer Holiday Special. Immortal Ollanius Pius meets with humanity's grim future in the 52nd millennium.
- Tau Communique regarding the use of Auxillaries A brief account of how the Atilla should be used.
Artwork
I'm posting most of my art work to my Deviant Art profile.