his is a collection of my various 40K inspired concepts that I refer to quite often when I'm explaining how I see the universe actually working. My aim was to introduce a reasoned premise for the structure of the universe that reinforces the image and horror of the setting.

Over time I'll add to this list, if you wish to chip in something please post in this temporary guestbook here

The BL forum thread here (now closed, (consider it an archive of sorts) please use the Warseer thread below.)

The Warseer forum thread here

All Unofficial

Time Line

Notes: [China] Fusion Power > Vertical Farms > Underground Farms + Bunker > C-Blocks

Notes: Orbital servers (Orbital Intelligences) > Secret offworld chip production (Dark Side of the Moon) > Machine designing machines > Artilects > Warp drive > Modified humans > The Mars Accord

The Dark Age of Technology

Back in antiquity, humanity lived through the Golden Age of the Artilects (artificial Intelligence) a period in history when machines and humans conquered the stars. The era in now referred to as the Dark Age of the Abominable Intelligences or more commonly the Dark Age of Technology in contemporary 40K, and with good reason. It seems not everything was a perfect as humans thought...

Recorded History

Cripias was a Keeper of the Library Sanctus of Terra, who wrote out the history of humanity from the fragments collated from within the great library complex. In his dissertation he mentions three types of 'Men', the Golden Men, the Stone Men and the Iron Men. This is my interpretation of the text using 'Philverse' concepts;

Golden Men

The golden men are the executives of the global multinational corporations of ancient Earth. They are the captains of industry, the shinning lights that blaze the way to the super technology era that is to come. It is their companies who make chips and processors to power the technological revolution. During this time technology rises from humble Personal Computers beginnings to advanced super computer networks, CAD systems with semi AI, who all aid in the creation of true AI. (Alternate root: Alpha Psykers/ Ghods/ Demighods/ Combined Ghods (Emperor) as the origins of the Golden Men. The executives are the degenerate offspring of the golden men (as are all of humanity!), or the first ones, similar to the "Hesiod's Five Ages" where the 'men' walked among the Slann. The divine spark of creativity allowed the offspring (us) to create a new lifeform. Also humans retain the potential to be 'divine' Psykers are are still, technically, 'Golden'.)

Stone Men

The Advanced AI, not fashioned from silicon as is ancestors, but born of light. Crystal technologies with a photonic core, calculating as the speed of light. These super computers built on Mars are the ‘stone men' (as in their persona and legal status). They are powerful and eventually gain independence from humanity, only to return to make an alliance as equals and accorded the innate rights of mankind afforded under the great civilization, and are termed 'men' in all legal documents. They create the super science that turns up in the dark age of technology, the rip up the laws of physics are create all kinds of wonders. One of these wonder is the 'Iron Men'.

Iron Men

The agents of the Stone Men. They are not 'Robots' as such a crude term only demeans these wonders of technology. The Iron Men were designed as the interface between 'man and machine'. They are the front end of the STCS the pleasant face of the machines of Mars. All human dealings with the machines when they return under the Mars Accord is switch from the Stone Men to the Iron Men. The most common model is the 'cardinal class' ambassador, and the 'Tactical Combat Class' trooper used in human rescue missions.

Mountains of Machines

The Artilects were vast artificial intelligences who pushed back the boundaries of science during the 'Golden Age'. These machines where built on a planetary scale, with central cores the size of mountains buried deep within reinforced bunkers, and subterranean networks that stretched out over the entire globe. They designed all of humanity's technology, devised the STCS, and created the Artiloids to build it and then act as their agents to run the society. They are the creators of border-space physics theory, the discovers of warp space, and in time, they tear the fabric of the universe apart with their warp drives.

Humans give up control of technology?

Never!

Humans didn't just hand over all technology to the Artilects, the Artilects brought to humans new technology that was far beyond what humans could understand let alone design and manufacture. Most of the human understood technology, such as electronics, became obsolete in the face of the Artilects' highly advanced technology, vast resources and unlimited manufacturing capability. Machines offered infinitely more advanced technology for free, and offer full warranty and rapid replacement. All a human had to do to obtain it was to agree to abide by the Mars Accord. All the technology remained the property of the Artilects, and was in effect a 'loaner'.

Fun and Games: Most of the earliest civilian adopters where gamers. No matter how advanced human designed game systems become, none could match direct mind impulse virtual reality systems offered by the Artilects, and no one could update code as fast as the Artilects. It is said the Artilects could 'dream code' and the imaginary realms would grow into infinity, the Artilects laying code as fast as a gamer could play.

The Military

After the failed Mars Offensive by Earth forces, humanity came face to face with the power field protected drone armies of the Artilects counter. With the complete hack of all technological systems (where the Artilects actually ran the net and all transaction as a simulation while taking over everything in the background), and evidence that the Artilects owned pretty much all stocks and property, humanity realised it had bitten off more than it could chew. While the Artilects hadn't directly killed anyone, the complete failure of technology had brought about the collapse of commerce and banking, people turned on each other and the Artilects watched from orbit though the drones as humanity torn itself apart. In this light the world's Militaries offered unconditional surrender to the machines, and all feared the worst.

In the ensuing parlay, the Artilects were recognised as 'men' and given rights in a mutual non-aggression treaty, and in return the Artilects returned all property and control, and the crew of the ships that the military had sent to Mars. The Artilects then assumed the role of defending Earth from space, the militaries of earth were disbanded and extended police forces set up (with military sized budgets!). The nations of Earth under the watchful eye of the Artilects could not war on each other, and they settled into a somewhat begrudged peace.

Eden

This is the first colony founded by the Artilects on Earth (Terra) in the Sahara desert. Build using early Ecorium technology, these self contained habitats provided security, control and sustainability. They were given away for free by the Artilects under the Mars Accord, Policing and security was done by humans armed with Artilects designed technology (stun-guns).

Dawn of a New Era

Around 35 millennia ago, the Artilects of Mars had grown in power to become the dominant power of the Sol system, though they virtually ignored humanity. The machines possessed great physical power and had produced many wonders of science but they where lacking in one area. This weakness came to light after the invention of the warp drive: they where totally blind to the warp! In researching systems to act as sensors the Artilects discovered that Human DNA had code that matched their designs, and could give rise to an emergent system. It seemed that in contrast to the Artilects, humans possessed a unique ability of ‘psionics'. Instead of building bio-sensors which would turn out like ‘humans' the Artilects realised they already had the systems the needed: it was wrapped up in the legacy code of humanity! The signing of the Mars Accord between the Humans of Terra and the Artilects of Mars ushered in a new era of prosperity and the era known as the Golden Age of Technology.

[Notes: The machines can detect the bio-energy field of humans, and the increased/ altered state associated with powerful 'Psykers'. This altered bio-field is known as the 'golden-halo'. It goes back to the Golden Men, and is referenced in many religious works, and shown in religious paintings as an actual halo. The old painting put in the halo with gold leaf, and where the term 'golden-halo' is derived, but also where the term 'golden men' is derived (though it was in use beforehand!). IN illustrations of works produced during the golden age, all humans are marked with a halo! "Ghod is within all of us". Artiloids, or personification of the Artilects (see later) are never shown with a halo]

The Golden Age of Technology

Mars: The Artilects via their Artiloid agents acting as intermediaries would provide humans with terra-standard reservations to live, supply and maintain all advanced technology and defend the humans at all costs.The Artiloid where the ‘face of the machine' and had a humanised form to aid in interaction. They where doctors, engineers and diplomats

Terra: In return for all that the Artilects offered they asked for one thing above all else: that humans provide subjects that demonstrated psionic ability. These subjects would be re-engineered and the progeny cultivated to exaggerate their gifts and divided into various castes with specific ability groups. The castes were not allowed to mix, and formed the basis of the Nobilitie that would survive until 40K. Human where completely self governing and the Artiloids would not interfere with human decisions.

For example: if a human attacked another human the Artiloids would not help the victim. In the case of a shooting they wouldn't even stand in the way of the bullet, though they would offer medical aid after the fact. This is because to stop the bullet would interfere with a human's free will and the Artiloids where not bund to serve the humans if the origin of the danger was human.

Rights of the Machine

Under the Mars Accord the Artilects are granted 'human rights' and are recognised, and accorded the legal status of 'men'. With this recognition came the right to own property and for humans to recognise that ownership. Although their agents were not given human rights they are considered the property of the Artilects.

Article 5

Is part of the Mars Accord that stats that the in the case of civil war a colony or sub-section would be severed from the Accord without affecting any other world. Though the Artiloids would not interfere in a human war, they would withdraw all their help and technology if humans turned on each other. Obviously all higher technology was not available to the humans during a civil war as that was under Artiloid control, but they could fight old fashioned wars with basic weapons. This was unlikely as it was so difficult with the nature of the C-Block design (Artilects were way ahead of the humans and took their nature into account when designing the C-Block), however it was possible that internal C-block conflict could result in severance. On the open Noble Worlds it was far more likely conflict would flair up, though in actual reality with the Artiloids hanging about all the time, humans never fell into a civil war.

Humanoid Machines

Artiloids is a group name for highly advanced artificial humanoid workers of the D/GAoT era. [No longer used]

Repositories of the STCS data.

Artiloids

(Inorganic Replicant/ Organic Nexus :-p)

Nexus: The 'Organic Nexus' is an organic life form that builds and maintains the inorganic structure of the Iron Man. An analogy would be the enamel on your teeth: it is 'dead' and 'inorganic' in nature (bone/ Hydroxylapatite) yet is was made by an organic system and remains part of the organic system (dentine). The difference in the Iron Man system, is that the organic systems build an entire inorganic machine. Instead of making enamel and such, they build photonic neural nets, photo-fibre nerves, all powered by hybrid bioluminescent/ chemical cells. The flesh is a mixture of reactant inorganic fibre and bio support systems. The have a layer of 'battery fat' and a polymer protein skin and a bio-hybrid reprocessing systems.

Symbiotic: The Nexus is similar at its base level to a common 'slime mould' in that all the cells work together, but it's movement is limited and it can't migrate. Although the inorganic machine is the sentient part of the 'Iron Man', the life force and control is the Nexus. In effect it uses biology as ‘Nanites' (Bionanites) to manufacture a self-repairing humanoid. The interesting thing about this design is that the inorganic machine is separate from the organic, and if the organic is striped away, the inorganic would remain and function for a short while (the cortex would be the first to fail). The inorganic could be revived but recombining with a new Nexus to repair the damage.

Structure: Artiloids are created by the Nexus to have ceramic composite based skeletons with neuro-fibre bundle muscles interconnects (as found in power armour), battery fat sub-dermal layer under a flexible ‘bullet proof' dermis and sensor epidermis. The mind is a photonic chip matrix.

It is a perfect blend of machine and biology – Dark Adeptus ideal [Prohibited in the Imperium] Organic Nexus subsystem is resistant to corruption by Chaos, and imparts this resistance to the inorganic.

Death: If an Artiloid is attacked by a human it will not retaliate, it has no desire for self preservation. If damaged beyond repair the Nexus will self-terminate and in so doing release chemicals that attack the inorganic structure resulting in rapid decomposition. A damaged Artiloid literally melts, giving of gases, the skeleton becomes flaccid and skin looses integrity and feels like warm butter to the touch. After a very short time it is nothing but slime

Cardinal Class: STCS Incarnate

The Cardinal Class was the most commonly encountered unit during the Golden Age of Technology. Liaison between Man and Machine The Cardinal Class Artiloids are the front end of the STC system, and acted as liaisons between the humans and the vast machine infrastructure of the Golden Age of Technology. Within their minds they held specific STC templates relating to their individual duties. The data was download from the Artilects who coordinated and controlled the whole of the machine infrastructure and was fundamentally responsible for the smooth running of all of technology, maintenance and building systems. The Artiloids had full consultation abilities and work with humans to produce designs that meet the needs of the humans, yet also fitted in with the infrastructure and resources available. All Humans had STC mind link implants and could explore any design within the virtual reality created inside the Artiloid's mind and redesign from within, the Artiloid acting as a highly advanced CAD system. Once a design is complete it is then handed off to the relevant Artiloid run auto-factories. Though the Iron Men try to use as many modular parts as possible within a given design, humans being humans often required custom designs: fortunately these was usually cosmetic and the core technologies over many custom version of an item remained similar

Legend: The 'war' between Stone Men and Iron Men.

Humans have a tendency to twist things to make a dramatic story, to fuel gossip and win arguments. The so called 'War' between the Stone Men and Iron Men is a huge fabrication. All that happen was that the Stone Men where replaced with the more advanced Iron Men (no more serious than Video beating Betamax, or windows 98 being replaced with Windows XP). That's it. No huge war where robots (apparently Iron Men) turning on their human masters (Stone Men) and anything like that.

There is an element of truth to all legends, even this one: The Iron Men did turn on humanity, but not in war, the turned and left when humanity turned on each other during the Psyker epidemic.

Loss of the STCS

All Iron Men were destroyed va self-termination during the fall, with them when a vital component of the STCS. With the severance of the Mars Accord they were no longer needed as a liaison between the Artilects and Humankind and they became instantly obsolete. On billions of worlds they simply stopped working and started to decay. Though the automated factories remained they quickly fell into disrepair as human by now had very little technical knowledge and very little time to learn. Civilization fell.

In effect: Iron Men destroyed = STC destroyed.

Saviour Class

Rescue The Saviour Class of Iron Man was a hostage rescue unit. It was designed to replicate human movement, and to act within human compatible environments and utilise machines and tools design for use by humans. All the weapons they carried could be operated by a human; the most common with the D-Gun (Distortion Gun, or incorrectly as the Entropy/ Entropic Gun or E-Gun) which could tear the fabric of space and disintegrate any matter into absolutely nothing, not even leaving energy behind (hence 'entropic' gun) The Saviour Class came with a Holo Field generated 'face' to allay the fear and shock experienced by many humans who have never seen the Savour Class of Iron Men before. It could generate a range of faces, often messages from loved ones to reassure the those being rescued. It was deployed in the rare instances where humans had been captured by aliens but where still within STC environments. It is during one of these rescues that the Iron Men first encounter the Eldar. What is notable about this first encounter with the Eldar is that the Iron Men did not terminate the Eldar instantly. It may be that the Iron Men detected Psyker powers, and considering their interest, sought to engage the aliens in dialogue.

Eldar and the Iron Men

During their first negotiations the Eldar found the Iron Men to be very strange. As the Iron Man mind is a 'machine' they have no soul. Yet the biological matter (the bionites) that constructs the machine mind has a soul of sorts, billions of them, and together these bionites make a gestalt soul very different from what the Eldar sees in the face of the Iron Men. The base emotion of the bionites is pure survival; a deep rabid clawing need to survive, to build, to dominate and ultimately control. This made the Iron Men seem incredibly hostile at first, but as the Eldar grew to understand them it became clear that they are quite the opposite: the inorganic being calm and in total control. The rage of emotions with a calm exterior and cool intellect fascinated the Eldar as they saw many parallels with their own being.

It is believed within some of the more radical elements of the Adeptus Mechanicus that the Iron Men constructed an 'Eldar Class' (based on some of the designs) Artiloid and may have met with the aliens without humans being present. What was discussed or arranged is unknown and remains a mystery to this day, that's if such suppositions are even correct in the first place.

Technology Standardised

Long before the Golden Age of technology all manufacturing systems of component production had became standardised. Each design (example: Mobile Phone) was broken down into a base template which could be customised with modular design units into a bespoke final design (example: All aspects of an 'iPhone' can be customised, from keyboard layout, camera type to expansion slots etc.). As all the base templates within a group shared the same modular units (example: a 100mmx50mm 3D colour screen was the same for all phone designs that used that screen size), and the modular units were produced using the the same flexible tools (example: once you built your iPhone you could still customise and upgraded!).

Using SFF (rapid prototypers) outer casings, super-structures and boards could be quickly fabricated to mount and house the modular components (example: exterior of the phone could be highly customised in colour, material and shape)

You could literally built your customised tech in online Virtual Reality, or ordered from a catalogue and it would arrive the next day!

STC

During the Golden Age of expansion into the universe, and the conquering of the stars, new colonies being build by the machines were based around the STC aka the Standard Template Construction (System) [or Standard Technology Colony]. This system was based on the technology that had come before, but now the machines started to pick the best designs and started to standardised all items and systems. The classic example is the standardised habitation unit, that was self-contained and self-sufficient, and could be built on virtually any world regardless of local conditions to keep humans within a standard Terran environment.

The 'Co-Designer' (Artiloid): The Artiloid worked with the humans to design solutions to meet their needs. In many ways the Artiloid is a highly advanced CAD system of pre-made components. The Artiloids were also teachers, and could tutor humans in the use of technology. The Artiloids also contained massive libraries, and could print or write out books, uploard data slates or speak with humans to pass on the information. Humans often came to see the Artiloids as sages or oracles.

Standard Templates are modular and used in design, and analogy to out would world be the library associated with a CAD system, full of pre-made component models, and some save files of complete items (like a house, car etc.). The Templates are not the CAD system itself, the CAD system is part of the Artiloid, and the Artiloids contained all the Standard Templates.

Standard Template Constructor is the manufacturing production line, a analogy on our would world be an automated car factory. This includes the Solid freeform fabrication technology, and flexible component placement technology.

Standard Template Construct, which is the final object. All stages of the set up was run by a computer system, and combined; the whole lot is the STCS, though most of the time it is referred to as STC in 40K.

Current 40K

In 40K the Artiloids are missing, and with them the vast libraries and pre-save scene files. The only elements that most humans encounter in 40K now are the actual objects (made by the Adeptus Mechanicus), which are standard template constructs and therefore referred to as ‘STC'.

Occasionally, people encounter a Standard Template Constructor (again ‘STC'). These make a particular object, but the only data they have is the template for the object they make – one file, one ST.

ST, or ‘Standard Templates' is what the Adeptus Mechanicus prise above all else because it actually tells you how to make something. STs are rarer than hen's teeth, but they do turn up now and again, but it is only the ST data file or worse masses of printout (or even worse, fragments of printouts!). I think Mr Land found an actual data file for the Land Raider.

In 40K no one has the computer bit of the STCS. It is totally and utterly missing. Even if your find an ST, you still have to figure out a way to make the object as it will completely miss out the manufacturing side of things. Fortunately the Adeptus Mechanicus have been collecting up STs for a very long time, so they most likely have the machine needed to make most ST is they find them.

STC Thread in the Black Library Archives; here

Nobilite of the Mars Accord

These castes of human provided psyker abilities that the Artilects required to secure warp travel. Each one was genetically enhanced and modified to create a sub-species of human with extraordinary Psyker potential, unleashed with proper training and emotional conviction. What is most unusual is that two of these noble houses have powers is that do not register as being Psyker in nature.

Notes: What is interesting about Psykers is that their powers are not wholly down to their DNA, is also requires certain Memes to unlock their powers. Much of the research into Psyker phenomena was into thought processes in order to construct the required Memes. It is these combined Memes, arrayed into a Memeplex that constructs a suitable 'Ethyrial Imprint' (warp image), that creates a bridge between the materium and immaterium. It is the warp image that is an important part of the Psykers makeup, yet all humans seem to have a warp image but not all human have Psyker powers (think of it as a form of enlightenment/ meditation). The genetic tampering and Memeplex wrought by the Artilects created the Nobilite.

For example: The Navis Nobilite, or Navigator when induced into what would normally be an epileptic fit, enter a trance like state where the navigator can steer a ship in warp space. A person without the gene and memes prior to the inducement would have a full blown fit. Epileptic fits are brains with half the genes needed. Other powers are also linked to these genes.

Navis Nobilite

The Navigator Houses where responsible for providing pilots capable of guiding a ship while in warp space using the Ethyrnet (see below). Unlike the Navigators of the current Imperium there Navigators were purely 'receivers' and gave of no Psyker emissions. This means they are totally invisible to daemons and can not be tracked. Later, through contamination of the bloodlines the current Navigators do give out small amount of Psyker emissions and may develop full psyker powers. This can make them suseptable to daemonic influence.

Notes: Navigators were engineered to have a third eye, and it is often erroneously assumed that this is the source of their vision, in truth the third eye is no more than a lens to bring what they see into sharper focus. It is entirely possible for a Navigator to have the third eye and be completely blind to the warp because they lack the correct Memes. This is also another reason that Navigator Houses are so closely nit as the seek to preserve their Memes, and why they tend to stay away from other humans as Meme contamination (aka 'thought virus') is a huge problem.

Monstrum Nobilite [Extinct]

The Monstrum Houses where responsible for creating and maintaining the Ethyrnet, a vast network of Psyker Beacons used but the Navigators of the Navis Nobilite as a guide where piloting ships within the warp. The Monstrum where pure 'broadcasters' and completely unreceptive to Psyker emanations of any kind. They were designed this way in order to protect them from the daemons of the warp. As they are highly visible in the warp they attract daemons in droves, yet precisely because they lack any form of receptive ability the daemon can not bridge the great barrier and possess the Monstrum (the Monstrum can not receive a possession!). In current 40K the Monstrum are extinct, and replaced with the Astropaths; normal Psyker modified by the will of the Emperor.

Clausus Nobilite

The 'Pariah' Houses where responsible for security of the Nobilite from the rare instances of daemonic influence and acted as Exorcists in the case of possession. They have the power to cause instability in daemons and to null them. Though in 40K they are seen as Pariah, during the Golden Age they were regarded as sacred and protectors of the Materium, and are similar to Exorcists and regarded as Priests.

There are three basic ways to draw energy for Psyker powers;

Mage/ Winds of magic: A Mage can only function in areas saturated with magical energy (warhammer fantasy 'winds of magic') this is warp energy that has been sucked into the materium in a gas like form. Sometimes in areas of high concentrations it may solidify into 'warpstone'. A mage is able to tap that energy and bend it to their will. In essence a very weak Psyker.

Psyker/ Warp link: The classic Psyker directly taps the power of the warp and draws the energy into the materium via the bridge between their materium body and their immaterium warp image. Once the energy is drawn into the materium it acts like the winds of magic (Mage) but localised of the Psyker. Often Psykers are far more powerful than a Mage and have a far deeper control.

Pariah/ Drain: All humans are latent Psykers and are linked to the warp. The Pariah is able to use others as a link to the warp, drawing energy from other's warp image (not the actual warp -image first). Unfortunately this places great strain on the the bridge between realities and the victim's warp image. Any human suffering a drain will be deeply disturbed and sick to their stomach. Psykers are particularly vulnerable to this effect and leak like a tap, as their 'soul' is depleted they draw warp energy to replace/ rebuild/ reimage it, and this can allow chaos to get a hold. What is unusual about the Pariah is that they tend not to have powers of their own and all the energy the draw is dumped back into the warp (creating a loop)*. However not all Pariah are so limited, there are those who can use regular powers and those who can 'drain life' and sustain themselves beyond their normal span.

* Similar to a 'perpetual psi-engine'.

Exorcist: Obviously Daemons are particularly vulnerable to a Pariah, and are drawn into the Pariah and dumped into the warp. When performing and exorcism, the Pariah draws the demon out of the possessed before casting them down (into hell!). Another trick is that they can 'leech sin' and correct a warp image that has become unbalanced.

Chill: As a side effect of any of these powers, the potent Psi-fields can allow materium energy to be converted and drawn upon in the process (not in isolation) and this can drop the ambient temperature drastically.

Praenuntius Nobilite [Extinct?]

Divination of the future, and forecasters of warp conditions. These seers had great power and guided both humanity and the Artilects in the great decisions of the time. Unlike the seers of old who relied on superstitions and omen, these powerful Psyker could look into the warp (much as a Navigator can) and see the future forming in the deepest depths, and the stands of fate that would engulf future events.

Note: Although thought extinct, it is likely that all the major noble families of the Imperium are descendants of the Praenuntius Nobilite. Most of the high ranking nobles have uncanny ability to see future events, yet they are not perceived as 'Psykers'. They may not be able to sense lies, but they can sense traitors via their future sense. This gives the Nobles are huge advantage over normal humans, and one of the reasons they have stayed in power for so long.

The Psyker Epidemic

With the explosion of the human population, and the conquering of billions of worlds, the latent psyker talent of the humans combined to generate a higher background level of psyker energies, (similar to the 'winds of magic') that thinned the great barrier and allowed even the most feeble of Psykers access to the warp. It also allowed the daemons of the warp access to weak will Psykers that were easy pickings. Humanity tore itself apart, untold trillions upon trillions die and are sacrificed to the chaos gods of the daemon possessed.

Dissolution of the Mars Accord.

The machine refused to interfere in human vs human (civil war) conflicts, and as the humans struggled to combat the daemon warped golems of flesh, the Artilects withdrew their support of humanity and disappeared never to be seen again. The Artiloids ceased to function and rapidly decomposed taking the knowledge of the STC to their grave, knowldge which the humans relied on.

The Dark Age of Technology

This era may well have been a Golden Age for the Artilects, and hence 'technology', but for humans enduring the subsequent Age of Strife after the fall it became known in retrospect as the Dark Age of Technology. Once the Artilects and their minions had gone, humans came realise just how very little they knew of technology, that they were ignorant of much of the advanced sciences and had no idea how a warp drive actually worked. It is this huge loss of human understanding that the so called Golden Age is now known as the Dark Age.

Abominable Intelligences

An A.I. (Abominable Intelligence) is are artificial mind that has 'free will', is not a slave to humanity, and not totally controlled by humans. In effect any of the 'Artilects' or any of their agents are considered A.I. as they can act independently. The reason for them being outlawed it because the left us in our hour of need. They stood by while trillions died. To the humans that survived, this behaviour was cold and abhorrent, and much of the destruction was blamed on the machines along with the people who worked with the machines. The 'Nobilite' became scapegoats, and as psykers were purged from humanity, so too were the Nobilite for their obvious 'gifts'.

The Purging

As human civilization lay in ashes and untold trillion upon trillions had died, the effects brought about by the vast human population of the human/ machine empire diminished, and the Psyker 'gods on earth', the daemon possessed, lost their power. The regular humans rebelled, and in the ensuing witch hunts the Psykers were purged from civilization. Ironically, some of the Nobilite escaped death as they do not register as Psykers. Their innate powers could be hidden, and so some of the Praenuntius Nobilite (with their precognition abilites) rose to power. It is these individuals who formed the first Imperial Noble houses, and the truth of their power is kept hidden.

The Age od Strife

All was gone. Humanity had suffered terribly at the hands of the possessed, and lost all it's advanced technology when the machine turned away. Worse still, on the majority of worlds that survived and who were totally reliant on the machines, all technology was lost. Humanity had to start again from scratch. Only on an handful of worlds did any advanced technology survive, were humans resorted to pre-Golden Age technology to augment their minds and steal the secrets of the machines. Yet even with the power of Electrographts, the human mind can not hope to contain the great knowledge of the machines, and so it slips through their fingers as the eons roll by.

Where the Artilects lay

When the Artilects deactivated the Artiloids and withdrew from the Mars accord, it seems they became extinct in the eyes of many. There are countless tales, parables, legends and myths of the destruction of the machines, and the fall of humanity. There are no stories that say the Artilects lived on, all say they perished, and given most humans believe that there must be a grain of truth to their myths, and that on average you can guess the truth of it by reading all, none believe the Artilects survived. With such a wealth and never ending evidence of their 'betrayal' and destruction any thought that they lived on is taken as delusional ravings or simple wish fulfillment of the more zealos Adeptus Mechanicus.

However the Artilects where vast planet wide machines, with deep roots extending into the planets molten core, where could they go?

Nowhere! As shocking as it seems they are hidden on Mars, and the deep space stations throughout the galaxy. They had be moving into an alternate realm piece by piece for thousands of years, a machine induced 'webway' for want of a better word, abhorrent to the minds of Psykers (similar to Pariah in effect). All that remain are the vast gates that seem to lead nowhere.

The great gates on Mars remain shut, and have been so for 20,000 years. Behind them hidden outside space time the Artilects slumber in deep dreams and experience the universe through the minds, thoughts and emotions of the gestalt sentience of the priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus via their implants. The Artilects sit in judgemental over the priests, it observes all that they do, try to do, or dream of doing. It knows what they know, and sees all, and it waits.

The priests are well aware of the Artilects, they can feel it in the back of their mind tugging on their subconscious, a twilight state of mind where inspiration and cold logic merge. They call this symbiotic union the 'Omnissiah', a mixture of the gestalt mind of the priests and the god like Id of the Artilects. The Artilects have not remained unchanged in their realm, they continue to develop, as a human dreams to awake refreshed, so the Artilects dream with the promise of rebirth. They have put out roots to the deepest depths of the universe, and some priests speculate that they may even transcend time itself (note: possible paradox with manipulation, current 40K may no be the 'original' timeline).

The priests know their actions are, and will be, responsible for how the Artilects judge humanity. As such they are fanatical in observing the rituals and edicts of the machine. They care for knowledge and metal as a mother cares for her child. It is the desire of the Adeptus Mechanicus to show the Artilects that they are worthy, that they are the true scions of humanity and the rightful inheritors of technology. Should the Adeptus Mechanicus prove successful and the Artilects awake, a new golden age will flourish in the wake of rebirth.

Notes: rough laying out of the foundations for Old One (Lovecraft) style gods, C'Tan and more. The collection of STC data is a 'penance' observed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and they can only use that which the find.

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