40K: Narrative Impact
Now that the Imperium has gone Dark, what else can happen? Let’s find out.
In the latest edition, the stage has been set for a ton of interesting conflicts. The entire Imperium has been cut in half by the Cicatrix Maledictum. Guilliman and Cawl have baked up a new batch of Marines and Primaris to drive a wedge through the Chaos. Chaos, in turn, is partying on now that there’s a giant tear in the sky across the galaxy. Daemons and Traitor Legions are pouring out all over the place.
Meanwhile Necrons are reawakening and setting out on their own expeditions. The Tau have resumed their expansion now that their sector of the galaxy is no longer literally on fire. The Aeiouldari are being smug space elves and contending with the fact that there’s a whole faction of them who are dedicated to bringing back their god of death–and defeating Slaanesh. The Orks…well…they’re always spoilin’ for a good dust-up, and this is the ideal situation for them.
And with all these pieces in play, it’s anyone’s guess as to how it’ll turn out in the end–there have been a few clues here and there. We know that this summer will see a massive campaign to decide the Fate of Konor, which is kind of exciting as it will determine the fate of Guilliman and his forces, as well as shape the galaxy for events to come. I don’t know how much of an impact fans will be able to have–but, since we’re talking about the future of “the narrative” what else would you want to see?
I know I personally would want to see a narrative campaign that centers around some of the worlds in the Dark Imperium. There’s a lot you can do there–the whole thing has a wild west frontier kind of vibe. Only instead of waiting for the Cavalry to come riding over a hill, it’s waiting for the Indomitus Crusade. But I think it’d be interesting to see what happens when they can’t make it to a stranded world.
We know that the Imperium vs. Chaos is going to be the central conflict of the new edition–but this is a chance to see that conflict in a new light. What does the Imperium look like without all the structure behind it. I’d love to see a world (or system of worlds) that’s been cut off and see a campaign that’s basically their struggle for independence. You could have them try and fight off Xenos and Chaos threats, and depending on how the games go, they might have to compromise more and more of their ideals to hold on to their worlds. And what would that little slice of the Imperium look like when the Indomitus Crusade finally did roll up?
Like this, pretty much.
Granted, these are all stories that have happened before–we know that there were plenty of worlds that got cut off way back during the Emperor’s Crusades–but I think getting to play that out over a big campaign would be interesting.
That’s just one idea–right now the possibilities seem limitless.
So let me pose the question to you–what narrative would you carve out of the stuff of Eighth Edition?
