Warhammer 40k Question(s)

Started by Xanatos, August 19, 2015, 02:21:16 AM

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Xanatos


Hello, I am very casual fan of Warhammer 40k. Thus, many of the finer details elude me. Especially since the lore is so dense.

My main question is, what is considered Heresy or at least worthy of serious punishment. Especially in the eyes of the Ordo Hereticus and or the Sisters of Battle.

Its confusing because the words heresy, heretics. blasphemy, purge, etc are all thrown around so casually in text, without even a single mention or definition of what actually constitutes such a crime(s). Being an alien seems to be one (learned that from the video games, heh), but other than that, no idea.

Also, can sex to a certain point, be considered heretical or at least worthy of punishment? I know of Slaanesh and his abuses, but can anything sexual become heretical without needing direct association with Slaanesh? This includes, any sexual orientation other than heterosexual.


Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer.

Inkidu

Quote from: Xanatos on August 19, 2015, 02:21:16 AM
Hello, I am very casual fan of Warhammer 40k. Thus, many of the finer details elude me. Especially since the lore is so dense.

My main question is, what is considered Heresy or at least worthy of serious punishment. Especially in the eyes of the Ordo Hereticus and or the Sisters of Battle.

Its confusing because the words heresy, heretics. blasphemy, purge, etc are all thrown around so casually in text, without even a single mention or definition of what actually constitutes such a crime(s). Being an alien seems to be one (learned that from the video games, heh), but other than that, no idea.

Also, can sex to a certain point, be considered heretical or at least worthy of punishment? I know of Slaanesh and his abuses, but can anything sexual become heretical without needing direct association with Slaanesh? This includes, any sexual orientation other than heterosexual.


Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer.
Resolute definitions? Clear print law? This is heresy against the will of the Emperor! *Blam*

Seriously, much like some of the worst governments on Earth, the law as a thing founded in consistency and rational thought is a non-entity. In a paranoid and fanatical place like the Imperium of Man Heresy is whatever the inquisitor, commissar, other person in command thinks it is. It's fast, horrible, and brutal.

As for point two in the IoM sex is usually seen as something that's done to make soldiers. In a more meta example Games Workshop generally avoids sex and romance in any depth. They prefer to focus on the large scale battles, and whatnot.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

eBadger

My understanding is that it's pretty much anything beyond the cultural 'norm', be that religious belief, genetics, politics, behavior, etc.  I haven't read things in years, but I can't imagine they touch on sex much but nothing else about the Empire seems very open and accepting. 

greenknight

Quote from: Inkidu on August 19, 2015, 08:12:48 AMIn a paranoid and fanatical place like the Imperium of Man Heresy is whatever the inquisitor, commissar, other person in command thinks it is.
Tih. Also consider that everything published by GW is canon. Especially if it contradicts other stuff published by GW. An order of female Space Marines. They're in Rogue Trader, they exist. They're just an early version of Sisters of Battle? Probably. Except they're they're just like Space Marines, Boetcher's Gland, Black Carapace and all. Squats? Sensei? Yep and yep.
When you bang your head against the wall, you don't get the answer, you get a headache.

O/O: https://elliquiy.com/forums/onsoffs.php?u=46150

HairyHeretic

Except when it gets retconned back out of existance :)
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Beorning

Can I use this occassion to shamelessly plug my own WH40K thread, over a year in the making? ;)

Anyway... I think it's hard to say what exactly is considered heresy in the Imperium, as it's a diverse place with planets of wildly divergent cultures. The Dark Heresy 2E rulebook openly states that things considered heretical on one world might be treated as perfectly acceptable on another. Also, the Inqusitors have differing approaches and beliefs, too - and some of them might tolerate things other Inquisitors would consider unacceptable.

There are some things that would always (or almost always) be considered heretical, though:


  • declining to worship the Emperor,
  • not submitting to the Imperium's rule,
  • conducting unauthorized scientific research,
  • anything to do with aliens, mutants or Chaos.

When it comes to sex... hard to tell. I don't think there's any official stance in the Imperium when it comes to that. My instinct would be that the Imperium would be suspicious of any unorthodox sexual activity, as they are suspicious of *anything* that is different and unorthodox. On the other hand, there is that issue with social norms being different across different worlds...

greenknight

Quote from: HairyHeretic on August 19, 2015, 04:37:55 PM
Except when it gets retconned back out of existance :)
Then it's very existence just becomes heresy. Can't stop me from chopping SoB heads of and putting them on SM models. Come to think of it, SoBs are all still metal, right? GW would probably want me to do that; it's kind of pricey. ;)
When you bang your head against the wall, you don't get the answer, you get a headache.

O/O: https://elliquiy.com/forums/onsoffs.php?u=46150

Xanatos

Awesome. Thanks for the answers guys. That helps a lot knowing that things are up the air to a large extent. It makes a lot of sense too. Given how diverse and how insane the Imperium of Man really is when closely examined.


Here's another question. It might be redundant to ask it given the answers, but I think its legitimate (maybe, lol).

Would the Sisters of Battle as an organization have more concrete definitions, as they operate as groups and not individuals? Or do they fall into the same category of anything goes based on differing Sisters points of view? Such as, the leader of a squad or a particular Order, doling out her personal beliefs and thus her specific Order goes by what she thinks.