Jump to content

Help me understand: What is Warhammer?


Ibn Khaldun
 Share

Recommended Posts

Old goat here with a question that I know may get some 'keke-ing' going, but can anyone give me a laymen's explanation of Warhammer?

 

The reason I ask is that I have a number of Total War titles on Steam and have looked at the Warhammer II & III: Total War titles. In addition, I've heard of Warhammer 40K. Can anyone explain the Warhammer universe to me, it looks interesting, but I am far too busy to try and sift through wikis and try to make sense of the Warhammer universe.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Warhammer and Warhammer 40k are both table top games produced by the same company. Warhammer is focused on a high fantasy medieval setting whereas Warhammer 40k takes place in the far future, and while there are similarities between the two settings, best to just consider them entirely separate. Warhammer takes place on an alternate Earth and features an all consuming war between the forces of Order (Humans, Dwarves, High Elves, Lizardmen) and Chaos (Orcs, Trolls, Norscans, Dark Elves, Beastmen, Vampires/Necromancers and the denizens of the Realm of Chaos). As you have noticed, Warhammer has been adapted into the highly successful Warhammer: Total War franchise which has been well received by critics and fans alike. There have also been numerous games and other media based in the Warhammer 40k universe. 

Edited by VonEbs
Link to post
Share on other sites

Warhammer 40k (for that is the one I know of), is a grim dark sci-fi fantasy setting where 'there is only war'.

Warhammer in general though is really hard to pick upart since it is such a huge topic. If you want to find out about it, i would look up videos online about the basics of warhammer 40k and it's factions

Link to post
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, VonEbs said:

Warhammer and Warhammer 40k are both table top games produced by the same company. Warhammer is focused on a high fantasy medieval setting whereas Warhammer 40k takes place in the far future, and while there are similarities between the two settings, best to just consider them entirely separate. The world of Warhammer takes place on an alternate Earth and features an all consuming war between the forces of Order (Humans, Dwarves, High Elves, Lizardmen) and Chaos (Orcs, Trolls, Norscans, Dark Elves, Beatmen, Vampires/Necromancers and the denizens of the Realm of Chaos). As you have noticed, Warhammer has been adapted into the highly successful Warhammer: Total War franchise which has been well received by critics and fans alike. There have also been numerous games and other media based in the Warhammer 40k universe. 

 

Alright, that is neat. I read one wiki that says the Warhammer universe has a Lovecraftian element (Chaos) which corrupted some of the forces you mentioned such as the Norscans. Is that correct or did I fall on incorrect information?

Link to post
Share on other sites

vermintide 2 is the most therapeutic game 

Link to post
Share on other sites

image.jpeg.aa8a79d4cfc6390cda393123dd73b6d9.jpeg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Kinda very happy you posted this. I've been really wanting to get into the lore of Warhammer (40k) specifically for some inspiration for my own writing outside the server, and potentially for things to take inspiration for events and such.

 

If anyone knows what the Warp is and such, I'd love elaboration. (I have a very basic understanding it's a weird egregore force of emotions but that's about it.)

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Warhammer Fantasy is the source of a majority of Urguan's culture, we ripped it off.

Clever fuckers we is.

Link to post
Share on other sites

40k is for betas, fantasy is for chads. 
 

TW:Warhammer 1+2 are genuinely so fun and incredible inspiration. Bit pricey to get all the damn expansions and **** but no game puts me in a world building mood like it does. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fantasy is great, you'd like it Gaius, 40k is dece; but overblown in my opinion, others love it, so it's all about perspective.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I guess I’ll wagh post a bit. 40k imo is a bit more interesting and goes far more in-depth than medieval/age of Sigmar, though that’s mainly due to 40k being much older and the original game that some british kids made. The lore is hella expansive and someone could easily spend hours reading facts from just one imperial army regiment, let alone the Imperium of Man. If you guys are really interested in 40k lore, Lorehammer is a great podcast (after the third episode) with explaining niche parts of the lore.

7 hours ago, ScreamingDingo said:

Kinda very happy you posted this. I've been really wanting to get into the lore of Warhammer (40k) specifically for some inspiration for my own writing outside the server, and potentially for things to take inspiration for events and such.

 

If anyone knows what the Warp is and such, I'd love elaboration. (I have a very basic understanding it's a weird egregore force of emotions but that's about it.)

 

The warp is almost unexplainable, it’s the immaterium that mirrors the reality set in 40k, (which for those who don’t know, is set in the year 40,000 of our ‘reality’, where humanity has claimed nearly all of the galaxy until losing large portions of it from the Horus heresy and Xenos races.) The main thing is that there was an original race within the galaxy known as the “old ones”, popping into existing presumably right after the formation of the universe. They were a heavily advanced and psychic race who were easily capable of understanding the warp. With this they made pockets of reality that would exist within the warp allowing them faster than light travel, as well as a hiding place. This is the race that presumably seeded and then created the Eldari, Orks, Humans etc due to what is known as the enslaver plague which killed off nearly all the old ones. The warp can be thought of as pure energy, without living people it would simply be shapeless and benign. The pure chaos it is means there is no Order, and therefor no true matter save for the pocket dimensions Demon Princes and Primarchs inhabit. Due to emotions, fears, and psychic connection, every human (save for blanks and what’re known as pariahs which either suppress or void any warp powers near or on them) influences the warp to some extent, and even the warp influences them. Humans have psychers which range from being able to read minds to shooting lightning with warp energy, which at the same time makes them a larger target for demons from the warp to possess. This goes for Orks and Eldari as well, with Orks having weird boys and Eldari being very psychically attunted to the warp in general. Killing someone in battle, or having honor will fuel Khorne, torturing people or indulging in the visceral will aide Slanesh’s power, etc etc. The chaos gods which reside in the warp aren’t truly gods, but powerful culminations of energy that hold dominion over certain acts and emotions which fuel the “chaotic” aspects that are the warp. For example Khorne was birthed in the medieval ages of humanity due to the barbaric nature and mass slaughter at the time, and Slanesh was born from a giant murder feast death orgy that consumed nearly all of the eldari race. The only way for humans to do warp travel is with gellar fields that create a pocket of reality around them in the warp, all the while they are bombarded by demons. 40k is a crazy expansive series with so much damn lore and over a hundred books, but yeah there’s a lot of lore about the warp and this is just scratching the surface.

Link to post
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Security_ said:

I guess I’ll wagh post a bit. 40k imo is a bit more interesting and goes far more in-depth than medieval/age of Sigmar, though that’s mainly due to 40k being much older and the original game that some british kids made. The lore is hella expansive and someone could easily spend hours reading facts from just one imperial army regiment, let alone the Imperium of Man. If you guys are really interested in 40k lore, Lorehammer is a great podcast (after the third episode) with explaining niche parts of the lore.

The warp is almost unexplainable, it’s the immaterium that mirrors the reality set in 40k, (which for those who don’t know, is set in the year 40,000 of our ‘reality’, where humanity has claimed nearly all of the galaxy until losing large portions of it from the Horus heresy and Xenos races.) The main thing is that there was an original race within the galaxy known as the “old ones”, popping into existing presumably right after the formation of the universe. They were a heavily advanced and psychic race who were easily capable of understanding the warp. With this they made pockets of reality that would exist within the warp allowing them faster than light travel, as well as a hiding place. This is the race that presumably seeded and then created the Eldari, Orks, Humans etc due to what is known as the enslaver plague which killed off nearly all the old ones. The warp can be thought of as pure energy, without living people it would simply be shapeless and benign. The pure chaos it is means there is no Order, and therefor no true matter save for the pocket dimensions Demon Princes and Primarchs inhabit. Due to emotions, fears, and psychic connection, every human (save for blanks and what’re known as pariahs which either suppress or void any warp powers near or on them) influences the warp to some extent, and even the warp influences them. Humans have psychers which range from being able to read minds to shooting lightning with warp energy, which at the same time makes them a larger target for demons from the warp to possess. This goes for Orks and Eldari as well, with Orks having weird boys and Eldari being very psychically attunted to the warp in general. Killing someone in battle, or having honor will fuel Khorne, torturing people or indulging in the visceral will aide Slanesh’s power, etc etc. The chaos gods which reside in the warp aren’t truly gods, but powerful culminations of energy that hold dominion over certain acts and emotions which fuel the “chaotic” aspects that are the warp. For example Khorne was birthed in the medieval ages of humanity due to the barbaric nature and mass slaughter at the time, and Slanesh was born from a giant murder feast death orgy that consumed nearly all of the eldari race. The only way for humans to do warp travel is with gellar fields that create a pocket of reality around them in the warp, all the while they are bombarded by demons. 40k is a crazy expansive series with so much damn lore and over a hundred books, but yeah there’s a lot of lore about the warp and this is just scratching the surface.

 

Okay, the Old Ones definitely seem Lovecraft-inspired.

 

Is the Chaos in the Warhammer fantasy similar to the 'Warp' in the Warhammer Sci-Fi?

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Gaius Marius said:

 

Okay, the Old Ones definitely seem Lovecraft-inspired.

 

Is the Chaos in the Warhammer fantasy similar to the 'Warp' in the Warhammer Sci-Fi?

Somewhat, they aren’t explained fully so it can be lizard people or eldritch beings, either way they were very technically advanced. 
 

I’m fairly sure the warp is the same, just different universes. Like in Fantasy Slanesh, the Chaos god of pleasure and temptation is very weak and holds few cultists and pressure in the material realm. As opposed to in 40k where their presence is very strong in the warp. Both franchises keep the same Chaos Gods and whatnot, but the warp is much more heavily used in 40k, from travel to parts of the material universe being breached by tears in the warp which cause a whole plethora of ****. The warp’s very presence is only known by the fact that everything in 40k is generally scientifically advanced, whereas in Fantasy a lot more of it is left to the religious aspects of the races and up to their interpretation and superstitions. Fantasy is much more contained and easy to digest while 40k is meant to be excessive and over the top 

Link to post
Share on other sites


Jokes aside, a good channel I'd recommend (if you're interested in Warhammer 40K lore) would be 40K Theories. They have a playlist specifically geared towards newcomers that summarises the factions and the lore which spans roughly 10,000 years overall. Although some would consider it too expansive, 40K's size actually makes it somewhat easy to get into. There's no one place you need to settle down in order to understand the broader story and you can easily backtrack for context.

However, if you'd like to really start at the beginning,(if you ever get the time) I'd recommend the 'Horus Heresy' series and the 'Siege of Terra' series. The books offer an insight into the character of the Emperor, provide a good introduction to the original eighteen space marines legions (along with their Primarchs) and will help you understand references scattered about 40K lore.
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...