Nobledark Imperium

Welcome to Nobledark Imperium: a fan envisioning of the Warhammer 40,000 universe given a generous helping at competence and common sense. Not enough to overcome the overwhelming amounts of ohgodwhat assaulting it from all sides, though. Generally speaking, Nobledark deviates less from Vanilla 40k than the other major AUs popular at the time of writing (by the anons of Hektor Heresy and Imperium Asunder); we still have the same xenos races, the same Primarchs (at least in name), and the vast majority of the same Space Marine Legions (and later chapters).

A brief timeline, focusing on the deviations and their results:

• The Emperor (formerly the Warlord, then the Steward) is a relic from the DaoT instead of a bunch of reincarnated Shamans; Malcador was the one who found him and the closest thing he had to a friend.
• The Primarchs were merely those the Warlord found to be most notable or useful during the Wars of Unification. In spite of having being pumped to the eyeballs with rejuvenat, all have since died; only three(?) of them lived to see the Steward ascend to the Golden Throne. Most of them had roles approximating their Vanilla selves, but with some changes:
  • Ferrus Manus was still That Tech Dude, but only because he is Mechanicus born and raised (and the Iron Hands are all Super Skitarii ©
  • Russ is still wolfy, but only because of the radical Canis Helix treatments used on him and later his legion. Fenris is merely where the questionable practices continue, out of the public eye.
  • Guilliman is still "boring", a logistician rather than a strategist. His Codex was a guide to efficiently fighting the vast wars of the future he foresaw, ironically ignored by most Astartes but revered by the IG.
• Because of this, the whole Warmaster dickwaving contest doesn't happen, nor does the Horus Heresy.
• First contact with the Eldar was actually peaceful, leading to a tenuous alliance that saw a joint raid on the Eye of Terror to rescue Isha in return for all sorts of technological and psyker goodies.
• This, understandably, pisses off all of the Chaos Gods, who in turn move the War of the Beast forward two millenia and let the Croneworld (and Dark) Eldar join in to fuck shit up.
• WotB is what fucks over the IoM as much as the HH did in Vanilla; Battle of Terra is a thing, Sangy dies, Steward nearly beaten too until suddenly Eldrad.
• Steward doesn't get permarekt, so still alive and kicking, so no Ecclesiarchy. Marries Isha at some point.
• Goge Vandire is just a leader that the Steward saw fit for the Golden Throne; does a good job, before going mad.
• After Age of Apostasy, Steward finally bows to pressure and becomes Emperor.
• Few (if any) Primarchs left, and reclaiming territory lost to Orks is fucking hard.
• Necron and 'nid Hive Fleet crises all happen on schedule.
• Tau rise, and, after short indignant protests from both sides, are absorbed into the IoM (save for the conservative Farsight Enclaves).
• Tyranid main fleet begins to make galaxyfall.
• Well, shit.

NOTE: NEW STUFF IS BEING WORKED ON AND WILL USE THIS AS A HUB PAGE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE ORIGINAL PAGE IS HERE.

The Imperium

The Imperium of Man is at war. It has been at war since the day it was created, since an ancient Man of Gold took it upon himself to unite Terra - and the stars beyond - into a single, glorious Imperium. It has not been an easy journey, but nor has it been the debacle it could have been. Perhaps there may even still be hope for the human race.

Unification

In the depths of the Old Night, the one known as Malcador discovered a relic of the Dark Age of Technology; a Man of Gold, created by those who came before with intellectual, martial and psychic prowess like none other. Others of his kind had devestated humanity in wars long gone, yet this one would restore it to its former glory. The Man of Gold, returning to Terra to find it a war-torn shell of a homeworld, immediately vowed to dedicate his existence to restoring the race he was created to serve. Thus, he became the Warlord, unifying his world through alliance, war, and every flavour of diplomacy between them. Nations united under his banner or were conquered by it, and soon a few figures became famous for their achievements in the fledgling Imperium, whether done in the Warlord's name or their own. These would become his Primarchs.

The years passed, and the Warlord looked to the stars. After the alliance with Mars gave the Imperium the logistical and materiel strength to begin reclaiming their former worlds, the Great Crusade began in earnest. Many worlds saw the bright future of the Imperium and greeted the Warlord with open arms, and for those that did not? The Warlord had his Primarchs; who each had a legion of elite Space Marines under their command, along with their own unique brand of warfare. A world with armies elite enough to fend off the ferocity of Leman Russ's Vlka Fenryka would be dismantled by the logistical superiority of Roboute Guilliman; one fortified enough to stall the methodical Ultramarines would be infected by plague and rotted from the inside out by Mortarion's Night Lords, and one who dared use such weapons on the forces of the Imperium would have their horrific gases and plagues shrugged off by Ferrus Manus's inhuman Skitarii.

Closer to home, however, there was a problem. The Warlord had originally been designed to serve humanity, not lead it, and it was a curious irony that the greatest leader in human history did not see himself fit for the role. Nevertheless, he was concerned at how an artificial construct such as himself (although precious few other than Malcador knew of this fact) was shown such reverence across the reclaimed worlds; some worlds approaching worship. Thus, he declared that the Golden Throne of Terra, an ancient artifact discovered that may have predated even him, was the centerpiece of the Imperium, and that he would be its Steward until a suitable Emperor were to emerge.

An Unlikely Alliance

In the depths of space, as the Imperium rose, the dying embers of the Eldar Empire spotted a raft of order and sanity they could cling to in a galaxy filled with war and Chaos. Quietly, first contact was made; the Steward of the Golden Throne and Farseer Eldrad Ulthran both deciding that the other would be a vital stepping stone to the revival of their race's former glory.