Editing Nobledark Imperium Imperial Society and Culture (section)

== The Starchild Prophecies ==

The "Starchild" Prophecies of the Eldar and humans are a nebulous collection of texts transcribed from numerous sources, many not from origins considered conventionally sane.

Although they are all categorized under the title of Starchild, the majority of the actual prophecies do not make mention of that theoretical entity by name — though it is the most numerous outcome. It is impossible to prove whether this is due to actual revelations or cultural osmosis imprinting a foreign concept into something the mind is familiar with, especially as most such prophecies are collected from scribbled scraps of various media inherited postmortem. Indeed, most of such texts would be considered "visionary static" were it not for some level of consistency across lightyears, cultural boundaries, time, and even species.

The predictions are united in their claim that Isha will in time become pregnant with the child of the Emperor. The details and circumstances of the conception, however, vary wildly; some claim it is part of some Isharite ritual, some say auspicious omens and stellar alignments will herald His coming, some say that He on Earth will die and this will be His final free act, and some simply make no mention at all. Again, of the prophecies that do mention deaths, the circumstances vary wildly.

The child shall be born, and there again the prophecies diverge. Some say they shall be some sort of Eldar death god or protector god of the dead — but usually not actually malevolent. Some say the child will be Eldanesh reborn. Some say that they shall be the Perfect Child that shall succeed the Emperor be, whom had died before the birth or transferred his immortality and so died a single lifetime after. Some say that the child shall be the first of four that will ascend to the warp and throw the Dark Gods from their cruel thrones to take their place as better deities — Isha's final revenge for her captivity. Some say that the child will be stillborn and that with it all hope will die.

All that is known is that no prophet — sane or mad — has received the vision more than once, and no two visions are completely identical.

The possibility that it is all a ruse by the King of Lies for unknowable ends is not to be ruled out.

All such possible visions are to be transcribed, and an unadulterated copy sent to the nearest Adeptus Arbites collection point.

''In nomine Domini''.