| Date | Event |
| 4700 AD | The Imperium relocates the vast majority of its Terran industry to Mars and initiates repair to Earth's ecosystem. The Emperor also places powerful defenses around the planet, including shields against Warp energy effects. Earth and Mars become modern-day Noah’s arks and protect the human genetic material from the influences of the Warp. Earth's population also increases sharply due to the increased and much more enjoyable living space. |
| 5000 AD | The Imperium completes standardization in both military and civilian infrastructures. The Emperor intentionally stifles private technological advancement while initiating large-scale genetic breeding programs. He predicts that Warp storms will prevent Warp travel for another fifteen to twenty thousand years, so he has that long to plan. The Imperial military and bureaucracy is reorganized for ease of expansion, and instantaneous telepathic communication systems are developed. The Primarch Project is initiated. |
| 6000 AD | Around this time, an Orkish battle fortress enters the Sol system and ravages the outer planets before the Imperial Guard manages to destroy it. The present military forces prove to be inadequite and a super-soldier project initiated, developing in parallel with the Primarch Project. Genetic material is implated into developing soldiers, and samples are taken from the most talented ones to be tested, modified and implanted into the next generation. |
| 7000 AD | The first platoon of Space Marines is publicly demonstrated as a fast-reaction assault force. Over the next 2,000 years the process is refined with hypnotherapy playing an integral part of the indoctrination process. It is found that the female mind is incapable of submitting to such complete reprogramming as the Emperor desires. Because of this, all Space Marines and genetic processes are designed for males. Females who serve in the military are restricted to the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Navy, though certain special forces are assigned to protect the Administratium. These forces, initially merely decorative, will eventually becomes the basis of the Adeptus Sororities: the armed force of the Ecclesiarchy. |
| 9000 AD | The process of creating Space Marines is complete. The Primarch project has created twenty-four strains of homo superior DNA. These strains are the penultimate in human evolution. The Primarchs have superhuman strength, endurance and intellect, in addition to remarkable adaptability. It is this adaptability that is used to create a Space Marine. Various tissues and organs are vat-grown and implanted into a suitable candidate, creating a new superhuman without all the messy birth and growing-up stuff. Space Marines are not a hereditary family – anyone of sufficient skill and dedication may become a Marine. |
| 14650 AD | On the anniversary of the conquest of Terra the Emperor unveils plans for the reconquest of the galaxy. Ten thousand years of sustained indoctrination have converted the Imperium to techthieism – a religion of technology. Tech-priests, rituals, prayer and rote memorization have stifled technological creativity, instilled devotion and blind obedience into the common man, and opened the doors to mass enthusiasm for a crusade to bring back the light of civilization to the primitive barbarians. Over the next five thousand years the military will be built up to levels that are vastly disproportionate for a single star system, but well-prepared for the invasion of a galaxy. |
| 19000 AD | An Orkish Waaagh! that invades the Sol system is almost casually obliterated. The primary space hulk is captured, taken apart and the materials refined and used to build the Imperial Navy flagship 'The Emperors Hand'. |
| 20000 AD | Warp storms around Earth begin calming. The Emperor starts sending scouting missions to local star systems, initially intended to locate other surviving human encampments. When the scouts report barbarian human societies, Orkish hordes, Eldar Craftworlds and other aliens, the Imperium is galvanized into action. The Emperor realizes that sometimes the mob rules, so starships are prepared, troops are mobilized and plans made to conquer the more immediate neighbors. |
| 20250 AD | Over twenty planets near Earth have been invaded, conquered and rededicated to the Imperium. The majority of the more zealous and militant crusaders have been killed in the fierce action against the Orks, and Warp storm accidents have removed others. The Emperor silences the outcry for immediate invasion of the rest of the galaxy, regains control of the Imperium and sets out to consolidate his enlarged empire. |
| 21000 AD | Less than five new planets have been conquered over the past 750 years, but the Imperial military has increased by two orders of magnitude. The vast majority of the Imperial industry is geared towards supporting the coming crusade and with the two dozen new planets open for settlement, the necessary population is becoming available. |
| 22000 AD | The Emperor initiates low-level probes of the local spiral arm. He finds that Orks are the major threat to civilization, with Eldar raiders and other aliens a distant second. A slow expansion begins as one star system after another is brought into the Imperium. The Astropaths provide instantaneous communication and allow the Emperor to maintain direct authority at the frontier. Over the next six thousand years the Imperium expands at a slow, but steady pace. As each new world is brought into the Imperium it is cleansed of imperfections, the natives are reeducated, colonists are brought in and a viable infrastructure created before the majority of the military forces move on. This procedure allows for the Emperor to maintain strict control and limit the autonomy of the various planetary rulers. |
| 28000 AD |
A
Warp storm surges through the Imperium, cutting off all travel and
communications. A rebel movement seizes the opportunity to stage a coup
and attacks the Emperor’s primary research facility on Mars. One of
their objectives is to attain parity with the Imperial military
technology, which is both restricted and “black box“ (nobody knows how
it really works and therefore it can’t be duplicated). They manage to
breach both the teleportation test lab and the Primarch Project and
activate both. The latest generation of Primarchs is transported
throughout the galaxy as the teleporter proves it works, before the entire
complex is vaporized by a runaway fusion reactor. The Emperor learns the
value of backups after it’s too late, as the entirety of the Primarch
Project has been destroyed along with the majority of his high-tech toys.
The less said about the fate of the surviving rebels the better, and the
Emperor announces the imminent initiation of the Great Crusade. Humans
with psychic powers also begin to appear on almost every colonized world.
Civilization starts to disintegrate under the stress of widespread
insanity, daemonic possession, and internecine strife between these new 'psykers'
and the rest of humanity. Countless fanatical cults and organizations
spring up to persecute the psykers as witches, and/or degenerate mutants.
At this time, the existence of the creatures of the warp (later known and
feared as daemons), and the dangers they pose to the human mind with newly
awakened psychic powers, is far from understood. Terrible wars tear human civilization
apart. Localized empires and factions fight amongst themselves as well as
against fleets of Orks, Tyranids, and other aliens whose forces are quick
to seize the opportunity to sack human space. Many worlds fall prey to the
dominance of Warp Creatures whilst others revert to barbarism. Humans
survive only on those worlds where psykers are suppressed or controlled.
During this time, Terra is cut off from the rest of humanity by terrible
warp storms, which isolate the home world for several thousand years,
further accelerating the ruin of humanity. Internal
security becomes a force to be feared. New authority derived directly from
the Emperor himself allows them to investigate any suspected treason, real
or imagined. This is the official foundation of the Inquisition, dedicated
to the preservation of humanity and the eradication of anything that
threatens it. |
| 28150 AD | The Warp storms clear, a new Astronomicon is activated and the Emperor leads his forces into the galaxy in search of his Primarchs. The final objective of the Great Crusade is to reclaim all humans under Imperial rule, though this is secondary to the more immediate need to find the Primarch gene-seed. The use of the Astronomicon allows human starships to travel faster and more safely than Orkish and old-Earth forces, and the reconquest of the pre-storm Imperium takes less than a century. Further expansion is neither slow nor thorough, as the Emperor send forces in all directions in a desperate search for the lost Primarchs. |
| 28650 AD |
The
Great Crusade continues. Twenty Primarchs have been found and each now
leads a Legion of Space Marines. The Emperor’s concentration on scouting
and exploration has allowed an increase in colonization and a
corresponding decrease in Imperial central authority. He recognizes this
and begins to slow the rate of expansion as well as consolidating the
Imperial power structure. The focus of the crusade slowly changes from
“rescue the Primarchs“ to “bring the light of civilization to our
fellow humans, separated from us for so long.“ The Inquisition grows in
power as it is increasingly used as an information-gathering agency.
|
| 28812 AD | First Founding: Twenty Space Marine Legions are rededicated and their genetic stock enhanced by using implanted organs from their Primarch’s gene seed. Over the coming centuries each Legion slowly assumes the characteristics of their Primarch, as the genetic link between them strengthens. |
| 29000 AD | The
Great Crusade continues to reclaim the galaxy under the Pax Imperialis.
The need for vast numbers of Marines requires accelerated gene-culturing
and the mass production of the implanted organ. This eventually leads to
genetic flaws in several of the Legions.
An ancient text details an altercation between the Primarchs Rogal Dorn and Night Haunter. |
| 29500 AD | Age of Trade: The Squat Empire initiates trade with a number of Eldar Craftworlds. This lasts 3000 years before the Eldar betray the Squats to the Orks, beginning of the traditional Elf-Dwarf rivalry. |
| 30000 AD | Grabya's Theorem demonstrates how Primarch genetic data could be used to stabilise genetic development of Space Marines. Great Crusade continues. Sorian's Inductus Excelsus shows requirements for more warriors is vast. Accelerated gene-culturing techniques implemented, reducing processing time to create Space Marine to one year. However, accelerated gene-seed has unseen fundamental flaws. |
| 30050 AD | The White Scars overrun the human coalition, led by it's own Emperor K'Reng. The battle lasts under two hours and ends with the complete surrender of the coalition, the White Scars spend the next year mopping up the last traces of resistance. |
| 30150 AD | The Lunar Wolves Legion is renamed Sons of Horus. |
| 31000 AD | Warmaster Horus is corrupted by Warp entities and rebels against the Emperor. He converts his troops and 4 other Legions, and virus bombs Isstvan III to supress a minor rebellion. The frigate Einstein escapes with news of the rebellion. |
| 30013 AD | Seven Legions are sent against Horus, but four defect to his side and three are destroyed. The galaxy erupts into war as nearly half the Imperium sides with the rebels. Khorne grows powerful and Warp energies accumulate. The Eldar recognize the threat of galaxy-wide hatred and warfare, and play an active part in suppressing the rebellion. |
| 31560 AD | Vindicator created during third Rothern I pacification of the Great Heresy. |
| 31781 AD | The First Battle of Cadia |
| 31845 AD |
Horus invades Earth and lays siege to
Emperor's Palace. During the battle, rebel spies manage to steal secret
plans to the Emperor's ultimate weapon. On the verge of defeat, the
Emperor teleports onto Horus' warship and engages him in single
combat. Horus is killed but manages to mortally wound the Emperor. The
Emperor returns to his palace where he is placed in the life support
system now known as the Golden Throne, while the traitors flee. |
| 31893 AD | Scribe First Order Wendel Voss records the Cleansing of Laeran in which the alien Laer are wiped out by the Emperor's Children led by Fulgrim. |
| 31853 AD | Dionerius' "Rise of Man" describes the Wulfen, the 13th comany of the Space Wolves, and how they entered the Eye of Terror to pursue the traitor legions at the end of the Horus Heresy. Primarch Guilliman and Dorn did not want to lose marines to such a campaign and advised against it, though it is not clear whether Russ sent the Wulfen in or if they went of their own accord. The Wulfen were never seen or heard from again. Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, compiles the first Codex Astartes which lays down new organizational doctrine. Loyal Space Marine legions broken up into smaller Chapters of one thousand marines, known as the Second Founding. Temple of the Savior Emperor recognized as the official religion of the Imperium, given the title of ADEPTUS MINISTORUM. |
| 32084 AD | Jaghatai Khan, Primarch of the XXX, disappears while fighting Dark Eldar on Corusil V. |
| 32200 AD | Ecclesiarch Veneris II becomes a High Lord of Terra. |
| 32243 AD | Inquisitor Damasko postulates that by reference to the Chaos Gods and associated daemons, other deities must have champions, possess worshippers, influence mortals or temporarily create manifestations in the form of daemons. |
| 32751 AD | Rogue Trader Xiatal Parnevue first catalogues Naogeddon from orbit. |
| 32945 AD | Leeman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, vanishes. |
| 32997 AD | Space Wolves base, the Fang, attacked by Magnus the Red and 1,000 sons as revenge for the destruction of Prospero. |
| 33852 AD | The Castile V Massacre. Lord Periclitor slaughters missionaries and the Sororitas. |
| 33881 AD | Adeptus Terra officially recognises new semi-democratic regime on Karis Cephalon. |
| 33888 AD | The Martyrdom of Saint Jerome. Lord Periclitor kills Jerome at Tosak. |
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