Apriori Public Service Announcements
Contrary to standard Imperial policy, the Knights Inductor and Aprior Sector believe in informing their citizens of the dangers of the galaxy, so that they are prepared to deal with them. One tool by which they accomplish this is through Public Service Announcements. By Not LongPoster.
The Threat Beyond: Chaos, Daemons, Cults and You
The so-called Gods of Chaos are more accurately described as emergent phenomena: the collective embodiment of every sentient being's instinctive drives, as these emotions influence the Warp, as opposed to the God-Emperor, who is a single extremely powerful psychic individual. This sort of embodiment is drawn to and empowered by activities which tap its particular emotion, especially if they are ritualized. The 'Chaos' part is very accurate; if we were to act on our impulses at all times, civilized society could not exist.
Slaanesh's name literally translates to 'Prince of Pleasure,' but a more accurate name would be 'Prince of Excess.' His or her followers engage in activities steeped in decadence and sensation, and the more extreme, the better. Slaaneshi cults sometimes masquerade as clubs or amusement centers.
Khorne, the Blood God, is the most obvious of the Chaos Gods; he feeds on hatred and battle-lust, and he demands blood, and lots of it, whether it comes from his worshipers or their enemies; indeed, our hatred and wars serve as well as those of any self-proclaimed cultist. It is said that Khorne does not care whose blood flows; only that it does.
Tzeentch is called 'The Changer of Ways' for his focus on ambition and change, but his domain also includes hope, magic, and knowledge. As with all things, these are good in moderation, but constant change and mutation do more harm than good. The known plans of his followers are convoluted but nearly airtight, and we can only assume that the unknown plans of Tzeentch himself are even more so, but for all of their knowledge, it seems that the ambition of Teentchian cultists and daemons means that their plans generally interfere with each other and lead to their collective downfall.
Nurgle is fueled by despair, and his domain includes disease and decay. His followers refer to him as 'Grandfather,' as he is apparently loving and welcoming to all, although his idea of 'gifts' is rather morbid.
Technically, any emotion can fuel one or more of the Gods of Chaos, but in practice, the effect is immeasurably small. For example, Slaanesh was only created as a result of the collective effort of the entire Eldar Empire, at a time when their Empire was more populated and far more active in hedonistic pursuits than our Imperium. Furthermore, Chaos is not a unified front: Khorne and Slaanesh are enemies, as are Nurgle and Tzeentch, and some minor gods, such as Malice, are enemies to all four. There are even rivalries and divisions among worshipers of the same god, whether they disagree over how best to serve their gods or they are just too ambitious to work together. This is not to say that Chaos activity is not a threat; the Eldar Empire and most of its inhabitants died when Slaanesh was born, and if Chaos cults are not identified and destroyed, that fate awaits us.
The Aprior Sector Armed Forces and Internal Security Services are actively engaged in destroying cults and undoing their work; such a task is risky at best, and extremely dangerous to individuals without proper training. However, there are some ways that every citizen can help. The easiest is to live life in moderation and balance, to help avoid empowering the gods. The other way to help is to be on the lookout for cults. In general, if members of the cult are unwilling to describe their rituals to outsiders, or are expected to cut all ties from society, or return to society with drastic personality changes, you should be suspicious and report them to Internal Security; we will investigate, and determine if they are a threat. However, bear in mind that not all members are wholly responsible for what their cult does; Chaos is known to have mind-altering effects, especially when daemons are involved. With counseling, support from friends and family, and faith in the God-Emperor, recovery is possible.
If you should find yourself confronted by the forces of Chaos, do not panic. Instead, try to discern their goal. If their goal is violent, such as using you for a sacrifice, attempt to disengage; running to a populated, well-lit area will most likely suffice. As Chaos cults prefer to stay under the radar until they can build a critical mass, they will typically not pursue. If you can get away, inform the authorities immediately, as a Chaos cult will only seek sacrifices when they are on the brink of taking action.
A more likely reason for an encounter with Chaos is that they are seeking new followers. If this is the case, gently but firmly refuse them – this may be made difficult by warp-magics, but always be aware that, however tempting their offer may be, the Ruinous Powers do not care about you, and their followers will betray you at the drop of a hat should they feel it advantageous to do so; only the Imperium and the God-Emperor have humanity's best interests at heart. Once the situation is defused, report your encounter to a trusted authority, and consider getting a medical examination, as close contact with Chaos can result in minor corruption.
Know Your Eldar; Or, Eldar Infiltrator, What Do?
Broadly speaking, there are three varieties of Eldar: Exodite, Craftworld, and Dark. The division between the three is deep and old, dating from the time of the Eldar Empire. The Eldar don't like to talk much about their past (or anything, really) to outsiders, but it seems that, after the fall of the Eldar Empire by the birth of Slaanesh, the surviving Eldar broadly divided into three camps, and have remained so ever since.
The Exodites had left the Empire long before the Fall, settling frontier worlds to escape the growing corruption of their society. They willingly abandoned much of their society's advanced technology and engaged in a more difficult lifestyle in order to avoid the temptations to which their Empire had fallen. They are not interested in battle, except to the extent that they must defend themselves. They do not take kindly to being disturbed, but otherwise, they bear no ill will towards humanity, and may even be willing to cooperate against a common threat.
Other Eldar lived on massive Craftworlds, which spent many thousands of years away from the Eldar Empire as part of their trading missions. They missed the Fall entirely, and soon became refuges for those who had survived. To prevent themselves from Falling, Craftworld Eldar live an extremely regimented, disciplined life, where they devote themselves utterly to mastering a specific role, or “Path,” in society. This process can take centuries, or even millennia, but Craftworld Eldar are supremely skilled (if cripplingly specialized) because of it. They are not as hostile to humanity as, for example, the forces of Chaos, but they must not be considered friendly, either. To them, we are inferior creatures, second-class citizens of the galaxy at best, and ignorant savages which must be destroyed at worst. They are too few to stand directly against us, but they are more than willing to manipulate human affairs to serve their ends, regardless of how many human beings may die as a result. Craftworld Eldar can also be powerful allies of circumstance, but be wary: they always have ulterior motives.
The Dark Eldar chose not to forsake their advanced technology or their extravagant lifestyle, but they soon discovered that their continued decadence allowed Slaanesh to drain their souls. Shortly thereafter, they discovered that, by inflicting pain on others, they could "recharge" themselves, and so their society realigned itself around acquiring victims and torturing them. Like their Craftworld cousins, Dark Eldar see all other life-forms as inferior to themselves, although the Dark Eldar see humanity as a resource to be milked, rather than a pest to be destroyed. All of their actions, one way or another, are focused on causing pain or gathering victims; they will prey on us until they milk us dry, or they are destroyed.
Eldar prefer to work from the shadows; it is entirely possible to live alongside a disguised Eldar and never become aware of the fact. Nevertheless, their disguises and glamors do fall from time to time, and so you may occasionally catch a glimpse of their true nature. If this should happen to you, give no sign that you have seen anything out of the ordinary – the Eldar will almost certainly not react well if it realizes that its deception has been discovered. Instead, take a note of whether its armor and weapons are smooth or sharp and spiky; this information corresponds to the nature of the Eldar infiltrator, and is vital to ensuring a proper response. Once you have detected the Eldar infiltrator, report your discovery to the authorities – several authorities, just in case. Be aware that you will likely find yourself captivated by its appearance. Always remember to pay attention to the Eldar's actions, and bear in mind that, whatever your feelings towards the Eldar are, it almost certainly will not reciprocate them. To it, you are that which must be destroyed.
The Not-So-Greater Good: Dissecting and Debunking the Claims of the Tau Empire
Newcomers to the galactic scene, the Tau Empire appears at first glance to be a young, idealistic nation, ready to shake things up for the better, and spread their philosophy of the Greater Good. Their technology is advancing at a record pace, and if one desires apparent proof that they are right, Imperial worlds are readily defecting to the Tau.
Our intelligence shows that this cannot be further from the truth. Reports from Tau defectors paint a disturbing picture: the Tau are rigidly bound into a caste system, where individuals are literally born into their roles in society, and the Ethereal Caste has nearly total control over all of their Empire's subjects. The Ethereals' motivations are unknown, but it is clear from their actions that they see their subjects as disposable: they will order their subordinates to engage in suicide missions, or even kill themselves, if they feel that it advances their agenda, and the enslaved Tau are somehow brainwashed into being happy to comply.
If the Ethereals think little of the other Castes of the Tau, they think even less of other species. The Nicassar, Demiurg, Kroot, and Vespids have been bought or enslaved, and are used for their technology or to fill roles that the Tau are unwilling to fill, such as dangerous assaults. Forcibly-recruited humans are also used in this way, acting as a meat-shield to protect Tau Fire Warriors.
The Tau seldom act with overt violence. Instead, the Tau will trick a world by paying mercenaries to intercept vital shipments, payments, and communications, to convince the people of that planet that the Imperium has abandoned them. The Tau will appear to gladly supply whatever the world needs, often using the supplies which their mercenaries intercepted, in exchange for involving themselves in the planet's culture. Once they have reached critical mass, and the planet's infrastructure and defense are wholly dependent on the Tau, they will "encourage" people to undergo "re-education" and submit themselves to reproductive control, all in the name of the Greater Good, of course. At that time, the world will belong to the Tau, and they will bend its resources to spreading their Empire even further.
Our sector's worlds are too robust to fall for this trickery, but we do have our dealings with the Tau time to time. Unscrupulous traders will often barter with the Tau Empire, hoping to gain exotic alien goods which they can then sell to humans. The easiest way for all citizens to fight against the Tau Empire is to refuse to deal with these traders, instead buying from Imperial sources. The first reason to do this is that, by denying these traders your support, you convince them to refuse to deal with the Tau. Secondly, the Tau use these traders to covertly spread their influence when their usual method will not work. Thirdly, and most importantly, for all of their technology, the Tau are severely limited in their ability to spread by their lack of Warp technology and super-heavy weapons. They are constantly probing our markets and traders, looking to steal or reverse-engineer our technology to close those gaps; if they ever succeed, we will never be able to contain the Tau, and the Ethereals will be free to enslave the galaxy with impunity.
The Metal Lives: Identifying and Dealing With Necrons
We have very little hard information on the Necrons. What is known is that they are millions, and possibly billions of years old; consequently, their technology is far in advance of ours, or of any other power in the galaxy. They do not appear to communicate as we do, but it is clear from their actions that they are enemies of all life, and especially life-forms linked to the Warp. The reasons for this are unknown, but the Eldar have legends of a war between themselves and beings whose descriptions closely match the Necrons, and it is said that the Warp was the Eldar's greatest weapon against them. This suggests that the Necrons are attempting to scour the universe of all emotive life, in order to starve the Warp of its power.
In general, the best way to deal with Necrons is to avoid waking them up in the first place. If you discover ancient ruins, especially if they are built of strange metals or advanced technologies, do not disturb them. Instead, report them to Internal Security, and we will send a team to investigate. Be aware that, if the tomb turns out to be of Necron origin and we are unable to stasis-lock it, we will have no choice but to evacuate the world and destroy the tomb with orbital weaponry, because if the Necrons within are allowed to awaken, they can wreak havoc on whole star systems before they are stopped. For one thing, it seems that the only way that more Necrons can be created is by converting humans with a genetic predisposition which is not too rare in this region of space; a populated world can provide hundreds of potential new Necrons. One Necron is troublesome enough; we cannot risk the creation of hundreds, and we especially cannot risk the awakening of millions.
The Green Tide: Orks
Orks are almost refreshingly straightforward, compared to our more enigmatic foes, as they are driven to fight, and the more and bigger opponents, the better. Indeed, Ork technology seems not to run so much on internal engineering as external appearance: bigger, louder, and flashier weapons will generally work better than their more understated counterparts when wielded by an Ork, especially when they are part of a Waaagh! From afar, their antics are almost comical, but they are devastating opponents up close and inevitably found in large numbers. Furthermore, their biology appears to be more akin to a fungus than a conventional pest; this means that an Ork invasion will be extremely hard to completely flush out, as their spores can spread far and lie dormant for years before seeding another Waaagh!
For the most part, civilized worlds with advanced sanitation programs will not have problems with Orks, as there is nowhere for the spores to settle and grow. Our Agri Worlds do have recurring Ork problems; thankfully, Orks are not subtle, and so an Ork invasion will be extremely obvious and, if caught early and dealt with diligently, simple to contain (relative to the other threats of the galaxy).
The All-Devouring Swarm: Tyranids
The Tyranids' origins are unknown to us; they are not from this galaxy, but beyond that, we have no information. Their motivation is, apparently, an all-consuming hunger and a desire to reproduce. In many ways, the Tyranids are not so much a swarm of aliens as a viral ecosystem, and so it is often useful to discuss the Tyranids with the language of medicine.
Like viral diseases, a Tyranid infestation progresses through several stages, and preventing an infestation from occurring at all is much easier than exterminating an invasion which has taken root. Due to the vast scales involved in space travel, it is not sensible for the Tyranids to simply drift through space until they impact a planet; there is far too much time for the hazards of space to take their toll on a slumbering fleet. Instead, they use vanguard organisms called Genestealers to act as "targeters" for the Hive Fleets.
First, a Genestealer infects a human with a sort of reverse embryo; this infection transforms the victim's sperm or eggs, so that their children will be Genestealer Hybrids, and corrupts their will so that they are bound to serve the Genestealer which infected them, and thus the Tyranid Swarm. The Genestealer Cult will grow through reproduction and by infecting others, and those members who can pass for human will infiltrate society, and undermine the planet from within. When the Cult's collective psychic signature is large enough, a Hive Fleet will take notice and commence a full invasion, and the Cult will "prepare" the world by sowing discord and sabotaging defenses.
Clearly, the key to defeating the Tyranids is to identify and destroy Genestealer Cults, or even prevent them from being founded. Our genetic screening program is part of our defense against the Tyranids; we can identify those infected, and even treat them, depending on the stage of their infection. We screen every Apriori resident at least once every two years, and also screen anyone on arrival from an interplanetary journey.
Our program does have an impressive service record, but it is not perfect; ultimately, the best defense against Genestealer Cults is an informed and vigilant populace. Many of the warning signs for Genestealer Cults are similar to those for Chaos Cults: they are insular and secretive, and their members will hide from society. If you discover such a cult or organization, report them immediately to the authorities, and we will investigate. As with Chaos Cults, members of Genestealer Cults have no will of their own; unfortunately, there does not seem to be hope for recovery. A person who has been recruited by a Genestealer Cult is effectively dead; their will has been drained to serve the Hive Mind.