Diplomacy
Diplomacy occurs throughout the Galaxy between the various factions all vying for power. Unforeseen alliances happen all the time. The Eldar might assist the Astra Militarum in destroying a Tyranid invasion, in order to save a craftworld. A Tau Commander might hire Orks of the Blood Axe clan, wholly unawares that his own Chaos Space Marine foes have already struck a similar arrangement with the very same greenskins. Few factions trust one another completely – if at all. A labyrinthine history of grudges, wars, campaigns and betrayals (intentional or otherwise) may sour all but the closest alliances – not withstanding any intense and innate hatred one faction may have to another.[6]
Contents
Alliances
In terms of making alliances, different degrees of trust might be attributed between various factions, particularly in the purview of deploying alongside each other for battle.
Some forces see each other as Battle Brothers, making the strongest of alliances striving for a common goal. Such alliances are often voluntary, born out of a shared desire for victory, and such comrades in arms treat each other as an extension of their own forces. They will often heed the commands and leadership of the commander or warlord in charge of the other party, and welcome the individual heroes of their allies to be counted among their ranks.[6][22]
Others are Allies of Convenience, unlikely partners thrown together by the tides of war. Such alliances might seldom last the battle, let alone an entire campaign, but the brief moment may be all that is needed by both parties. They pay little heed to the demands of the each others commanders, and shun the heroes and noteworthies of their ally.[6][22]
Those who are Desperate Allies are so only by the direst of need, for the only thing they have in common may be a shared abhorrence of the other. They are almost certainly built upon deception, and are prone to collapsing at inconvenient moments. Those which somehow last longer term might inevitably end in death for one party or another, either by betrayal by their erstwhile allies, or by others of their own forces who judge them traitor for their deeds. Even in the middle of battle, such forces keep one eye open to each other, ever on the lookout for betrayal, which might cause paralysis among such forces in battle.[6][22]
Lastly, there are those who will only ally come the Apocalypse, but not before. Such is the shared hatred among the most unlikely allies that they outright will often refuse to deploy in proximity to each other in battle.[6][22] This is when even the most hated of foes become disparate allies.[5]
The perception that forces may have of each other has a palpable impact upon the minds of the psykers in their ranks. Even though they might ostensibly be allies in battle, those who are mere allies of convenience (or even less trusted) bear the risk that their psykers may not be so discriminating. Where a psyker might pay great heed to spare a trusted ally from the effects of their psychic powers, there is great risk of friendly fire and indiscriminate harm to those who they do not see as battle brothers.[6][22]
Diplomacy by Faction
Listed here are the various diplomatic dispositions and noteworthy instances and examples of diplomacy (or other similar things, i.e. treaties, declarations of war, vassalage, oaths of fealty, etc.) among various factions in the galaxy:
Imperial
Intra-Imperial
- During the dawning years of the Imperium, the Emperor unified his fledgling empire with that of the Martian Mechanicum’s own empire after negotiating the Treaty of Olympus.[9] Even by M41, the treaty is used by the Mechanicus to negotiate what it wants from other imperial organisations.
- On Phoebe, the exiled Tech-Enclaves came into the imperial fold by a secret meeting with the Emperor. After signing the Phoebian Accord, they would send attachés to build and repair Saturnine Terminators and Saturnine Dreadnoughts.[10]
- The Navis Nobilite, much like the Mechanicus, have their own alliance with the Imperium which requires an exchange of services to maintain. The Imperium receives navigators for its vessels and the Nobilite receives protection, autonomy, representation on the High Lords of Terra. Since the Paternova can't leave his Palace, the Paternoval Envoy acts has the ambassador between the High Lords and the Great Houses.[21]
Foreign Relations
Great Crusade and Horus Heresy
- During the Great Crusade, the Celestial Citadel next to the Eternity Wall Spaceport of the Imperial Palace was known to host various Xenos Ambassadors from foreign powers.[3]
- Throughout the entirety of the Great Crusade, several individual marines were noted as being particularly skilled diplomats in service to their Legion and Primarch. Peacefully (for the most part) bringing worlds into Imperial compliance. Notable examples include:
- Captain Hastur Sejanus - Sent to world of Sixty-Three-Nineteen on behalf of the Warmaster Horus' 63rd Expeditionary Fleet. Executed by the False Emperor's "Invisibles" when he suggested there was another Imperium of Man.[20a]
M41 and Beyond
- The Officio Diplomaticus is an Imperial organization whose members conduct diplomacy for the Imperium.[39]
- In one instance, the Officio sent a force to the planet of Vigos to conduct negotiations with the Tau, to gain information about the Drukhari who had savaged the planet previously in the War of Dark Revelations. During the negotiations, both parties were interrupted by orbital intrusion alarms, as a force of aliens and Chaos worshippers had followed the Imperials through a Webway Portal. Both forces would prepare to defend against the invaders.[39]
- Sometime during M41, Assassin Judit Bjarnesdottir and Adeptus Arbites Judge Joachim Ahriman were sent by Inquisitor Rathman to the world of Hito in order to bring it into compliance; and to find the world’s hidden STC library. The world, much like Old Terra, was stricken with warlords vying for power. However, the local Order of Heavenly Virtues really held the power. During negotiations, Joachim Ahriman is killed by a Master of the Order, with Judit shortly killing him afterwards. The Master’s servant, Tenzig, finished the negotiations by revealing the library and accepting a possible governorship.[18]
Notable Imperial Diplomats
Diplomats and Plenipotentiaries of the Imperium.
Great Crusade & Horus Heresy
- Golconda Pyke - Primary Iterator and Diplomat of the 28th Expedition Fleet. Served directly under the Primarch Fulgrim in his compliance of Byzas with just seven warriors.
Post Heresy
- Urwin Sire - Plenipotentiary-Designate to Lord Militant Solomon Tetrarchus
- Erasmus Donali - Imperial Envoy present during the Gravalax Incident and Quadravidia, both times acting as an Imperial ambassador to the Tau Empire
Era Indomitus
- Lucia Vestha - Plenipotentiary and diplomat who serves in the Command Squad of the Ultramarines Captain, Demetrian Titus and member of the Wardens of Ultramar
Rogue Traders
- Since their origins in the Great Crusade, the Rogue Traders, as explorers and conquistadors, have found themselves in a myriad of diplomatic situations with both Xenos Domains and non-Imperial human worlds.[2a] A Rogue Trader’s retinue can include a large variety of eccentric characters, and are not limited to Xenos and Abhumans from the worlds they encounter.[2b]
- Rogue Traders, Chartist Captains, and Human Pirates alike partake in the highly illegal act of Cold Trading. In which they trade with Xenos and sell their exotic goods across the Imperium with highly inflated prices. A highly risky endeavour, but returns great rewards.[4]
Orks
With Humans
According to legend, the Orks were probably the very first alien civilization encountered by humanity. When Ork and Man lay eyes upon each other for the very first time on some nameless forgotten rock during the Dark Age of Technology, they took a hard look at each other, didn't like what they saw, drew pistols, and shot each other dead simultaneously. Since that time there have been innumerable wars between the Orks and mankind, and humans have become the Orks favourite foe.[33][34] Despite this, alliances, negotiations, mercenarial contracts, and other forms of diplomacy have occurred between the Orks and humanity (including the Imperium), instigated by either species, with variable outcomes:
""Da stinkin' 'ooman lackeys. Sum Orkses will do anyfink fer teef. Nufink wrong wiv dat, but hob-nobbin' wiv' oomans, dat's difrunt.""
- The Blood Axes are infamous, even among Ork-kind, for their opportunistic collusion with humanity. They are at odds with every other clan, above and beyond the normal constant feuding among the Ork clans. This is because the Imperium has hired Blood-Axe Orks as mercenaries to fight other orks, attempting to use them as a fifth column and buffer clan against other Orks. The Blood Axes were once very powerful, easily dominating Ork society, but when they had too many friendly dealings with aliens (especially Humans), it was too much for the other clans to bear, resulting in the inter-ork war known as Da Big Party, and the Blood Axes were overthrown. Because of this, they continue to deal with humans out of necessity, since the clan has become dependent on subsidies of teef paid to them by the Imperium. The Imperium gathers these teef via prospectors sent out to old battlfields to rip the teef out of ork corpses. This disgusts the other clans, not because the blood axes accept such teef, but because it encourages humans to take what the Orks consider their property.[34]
Chaos
- On the world of Lorn V, Warboss Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter of the Blood Axes made a temporary alliance with the Chaos Lord Crull and his Blood Legion of Khorne. The uneasy truce was made in order to find and claim the fallen Imperator Titan Dominatus. It would end with Gorgutz betraying the World Eater Warlord and putting his decapitated head on his armour's 'pointy stick'.[35]
Aeldari
With the Imperium
- During the War of Nightmares on Vigilus in the Era Indomitus, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines Marneus Calgar managed to strike an alliance with Anvirr Keltoc, Farseer of Craftworld Saim-Hann in order to fight against the Black Legion. Together, a joint Imperial-Aeldari Fleet was able to heavily damage Warmaster Abaddon’s flagship, the Vengeful Spirit.[13]
- During Abbadon’s 12th Black Crusade in the Gothic Sector, the Eldari Prince Eldrathain Voidstinger, leader of a Corsair Fleet, sought help from the Imperials who were battling both Chaos Warbands and Pirates alike. The then-Admiral Spire of Battlefleet Gothic accepted the proposal of alliance on the condition that the Prince would talk to his corsair colleagues and convince them to stop attacking Imperial vessels. The Prince accepted, though he was unsuccessful in convincing all his brethren. Later in the war, Admiral Spire and his fleet saved an Aeldari Webway gate surrounded by Abaddon's forces as part of their agreement.[14]
"It is a sign of the dire threat facing the Gothic Sector that the Imperial Navy would even consider an alliance with any alien. The Eldar are an arrogant and deceitful race, but it seems they are willing to assist us. We may yet be able to save the sector. But I dare not inquire why the Eldar have proposed this alliance. It is said that for any question asked of the Eldar, they return with three answers, all of which are terrifying to comprehend."
- Lord High Admiral Spire[14]
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- In the Eldar campaign of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution, Kayleth and her retinue are following a prophecy which dictates they must "reach the scion of the Emperor before the Orks." Thus, they slay Kaptin Bluddflagg, much to the frustration of Inquisitor Adrastia who had hoped to hire the Orks to pursue and kill the traitor Chapter Master Azariah Kyras. Kayleth points out that the most prudent course of action would be to negotiate with her instead, leading Adrastia to reveal the impending Exterminatus of the subsector and task the Eldar in taking down Kyras to prevent it. Later in the Eldar campaign, following the Exterminatus of Typhon Primaris (and its buried craftworld), both Kayleth's retinue and Adrastia escape onto the Judgement of Carrion. With the Eldar furious at the Inquisitor, Adrastia offered knowledge of the existence of Farseer Taldeers Soulstone in possession of Kyras, resulting in Kayleth sparing the Inquisitors life but ultimately breaking off any further ties.[19a]
[Multiple Endings]
"I required that Ork alive. Give me one reason why I should not slaughter every one of you Eldar witches."
"Because in your primitive hierarchy, Eldar witches are marginally more trustworthy than Orks."
"Ha! You evidently know very little about humans."
"Reasoning with savages tires me. You came to bargain with the Ork. He is dead. Bargain with us instead."
- Inquisitor Adrastia and Kayleth in negotiations[19]
Drukhari
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Other Xenos
- In the aptly named War of Dark Revelations, Haemonculus Urien Rakarth of The Prophets of Flesh offered a helping hand to the T’au Empire, which had been struggling in its defense against Hive Fleet Kraken. After successfully helping them fend of initial invasion, Rakarth demanded payment in 77 T’au from each caste, and 7 Ethereals to be used for his liking. The T’au regretfully sent his request, excluding the Ethereals, which they thought were too much. Later, after destroying the incoming Tyranids, the T'au realized how evil Rakarth was after he used the people he requested as test subjects by turing them into Grotesques. When Rakarth once again requested a tribute for his assistance, the Tau Empire refused, breaking their alliance and beginning a new battle against the Drukhari. The War would end with the arrival of Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect personally and the kidnapping of every single T'au on the world they defended from the Hive.[36]
T'au
Inter-Caste
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Water Caste
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Kin
- In an unknown period before the Damocles Crusade, the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues of the Leagues of Votann traded their Ion weapon technology with the T’au Empire. While keeping the most powerful of the technology to themselves.[17]
Chaos
With the Imperium
- During the War of the Beast in the 32nd Millennium, the Iron Warriors Stronghold of Klostra was attacked by Orks. Forced to flee their world, they encountered the Black Templars, and later the Fists Exemplar. Warsmith Kalkator and his Grand Company warband asked for a temporary alliance to deal with the orks. Marshal Magneric told them no, but he was eventually convinced into a truce. First Captain Zerberyn would also agree to a truce. After the death of The Beast, the truce quickly feel apart after High Marshal Bohemond attacked the Iron Warriors forces, much to the dismay of the Fists Exemplar. In the end, Bohemond would be killed by the warsmith and Zerberyn would join the Iron Warriors.[16]
- The forces of Chaos and the Imperium may also on occasion make for disparate allies to stave off a terrible apocalypse, though rarely will they choose to deploy for battle in close proximity with their hated adversaries.[5][6]
"Emperor forgive us for making common cause with fiends such as these!"
- The forces of Chaos will also provide aid to Imperial Forces in an attempt to proselytize and covert them.
Necrons
The Necrons make little effort to elaborate upon themselves and their motivations to the "lesser beings."[30] i.e. the "unclean,"[32] of the rest of the galaxy. They simply exterminate them instead.[30] In one Eldar prophecy warning of a potential attack by the Necrons on the eponymous Craftworld Ulthwe "the Damned", "[The Necrons] will bear death, the damned shall be damned, every soul of a craft world lost, slain without a word."[19a] Or else at other times they will only interact with other beings to threaten or gloat upon their superiority.[31] Despite this, some Necrons are noted as engaging in diplomacy or negotiations with other races:
- Of the Necrons, Trazyn in particular has shown a willingness to engage in dealings with mankind. Examples include:
- Trazyn would amicably approach Belisarius Cawl, offering him assistance in unlocking the secrets of the Cadian Pylons even despite Cawl's initial hostility and distrust[29]
When faced with annihilation, the Necrons are not unawares of the prospect of negotiating for survival.
In 799.M41, Waaagh! 'Eadcrumpa invaded Tomb World Suranas. Initial skirmishes proved that the Necrons were no match for the Orks, thus Necron Lord Nepthk struck a pact with Warboss 'Eadcrumpa, offering him three Doomsday Cannons. In exchange, 'Eadcrumpa left Suranas alone. 'Eadcrumpa, secretly, had planned to come back and invade Suranas anyway, however he would not get the chance as three months later on the world of Eden Prime the Warboss could not resist investigating the inner workings of the Doomsday Cannons. After breaching the containment core, 'Eadcrumpa and the entire planet of Eden Prime were obliterated from existence.[37]
Sometimes, however, pride and propriety are not likely to consider such courses of action[32]:
"Can we. . .negotiate with the humans?"
It should be noted in the above case, that the Cryptek Menteph had already described the Imperial Crusade to the council as a "war of obliteration" and that the humans had been summarily obliterating any and all planets in their wake. Feasibly, the council also understood there would be no negotiation even if they attempted it.[32]
Tyranids
- It is said that Zoats are very probably an ancient strain of Tyranid bio-construct, because they share the same six-limbed (sextrupedal) structure as other Tyranids and Genestealers, and that their form is derived from the very Tyranid homeworld in whichever distant galaxy the Tyranids originte from. The Zoats have been especially developed to commune with alien creatures. Their minds are capable of tremendous leaps of logic and they are able to master new languages with astonishing speed. This enables Zoats to act as ambassadors should the hivemind ever somehow require it. No matter how alien or strong the mind of another species may be, the zoats can learn how they think and act and assess their value to the hive fleets.[23][24] By the Era Indomitus the Zoats have become rare,[26] acting more as nomadic individuals or in small groupings without a significant population center, and do not appear to overtly associate with the Tyranids or the Hivemind any further, acting more as nomadic individuals or in small groupings. Even so, they have excelled at becoming ambassadors, power brokers, or trade dealers for other species, and are even able to influence affairs in Imperial held territory via a network of proxies.[25]
- Hive Fleet Kronos, created as the hivemind's response to Chaos and the Great Rift, has been observed to preferentially target the forces of Chaos while simultaneously ignoring other forces. During the Battle of the Wolf's Head, as Admiral Groesson's fleet engaged massive Chaos fleet at the Wolf’s Head Nebula, scores of bio-ships suddenly entered the battle. Ignoring the Imperial ships, the Tyranids smashed their way into the Chaos formation, swarming over the colossal Despoiler Class battleship at its centre. Not questioning his good fortune, Groesson unleashed a final salvo from his ships and ordered a retreat.[27]
- Such is the sheer animosity created by the insatiable appetite of the Tyranids, who seek to consume all organic life, that only come the apocalypse will virtually all other species in the galaxy even consider an alliance with the Tyranids.[6][22]
"We're working with these tyranid? Is that right?"
Other
- During the Tyranid's Devastation of Baal in 999.M41, the Renegade Chapter Knights of Blood were among the forces that protected Baal alongside the Sanguinary Brotherhood despite their status as Excommunicate Traitoris. This was decided after they heeded the call of Commander Dante unannounced, and after deliberation, were reluctantly accepted. The Knights would later be completely destroyed after falling to the Black Rage.[15]
Conflicting Sources
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- In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution there are multiple campaigns for various factions. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III has confirmed the broad events of the Blood Ravens campaign, though whether or not some events of the other faction campaigns which do not conflict with the Blood Ravens campaign could have occurred unclear. Particularly because each of the campaigns uses the very same missions and locations, but handled by each other. Examples from Dawn of War 2 are used as an example of diplomacy, even if the events may not have occurred in the sequential narrative of the Dawn of War video game series.
- Neither Kayleth nor Kaptin Bluddflagg are mentioned in Dawn of War III.
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Video Game)
- 2: Rogue Trader Rulebook,
- 3: The Lost and the Damned (Novel) (e-version) Chapter Six
- 4: Black Crusade Core Rulebook, pg. 31 — Introduction: Those Who Live Without
- 5: Warhammer World Facebook (Posted 13 April 2025, Last Accessed 3 December 2025) see Diplomacy/Sources
Golden Demon - 6: Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook (e-version) - Allies
- 7: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II - Chaos Campaign [Multiple Endings]
- 8: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II -
- [19b]: Audio Capture Approximately first few seconds Tactical Space Marine Voicelines]] Audio Capture - First few seconds
- 9: Mechanicum (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Chapter "Principia Mechanicum", 1.6, page
- 10: Journal Tactica: The Forges of Saturn, pg. 3 - The Phoebian Accord
- 11: Deathwatch: The Jericho Reach pg. 80
- 12: Rogue Trader: Fallen Suns pg.27
- 13: Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze, pgs. 37-49
- 14: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada
- 15: The Devastation of Baal (Novel): Chapter 26
- 16: Echoes of the Long War (Novel), Chapters 14–15
- 17: Codex: Leagues of Votann (10th Edition), pg. 42
- 18: Monastery of Death (Short Story)
- 19: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution
- [19a]: Eldar Campaign [Multiple Endings]
- [19a]: Eldar Campaign
- 20: Horus Rising (Novel) (e-version):
- 20a: Part One, One, Blood from misunderstanding, Our brethren in ignorance, The Emperor
- 21: The Inquisition (Background Book), pg. 61 - Teodor Minodya
- 22: Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook, pg. 112-113 Allies
- 23: Tyranid Attack (Board Game) Rulebook, pg. 19
- 24: Advanced Space Crusade (Board Game), pgs. 57-59
- 25: White Dwarf March 2020, pgs. 46-49 - "A Mysterious Menace"
- 26: Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War - Zoat Hide Jerkin
- 27: Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition) pg.37 Hive Fleet Kronos
- 28: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution
- 29: Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia (e-version on Warhammer+ Vault) pg.60
- 30: Codex: Necrons (10th Edition)
- 31: Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
- 32: The Twice Dead King - Ruin (Novel) (e-version) Chapter Eight - Unstoppable Forces
- 33: White Dwarf 93 (UK), pg. 41
- 34: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader pg 185
- 34: Waaargh: Orks pg.87 Blood Axes
- 35: Dawn of War: Winter Assault
- 36: Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pgs. 18-19
- 37: Codex: Necrons (5th Edition), pg.24
- 38: Deathwatch: The Achilus Assault, pg. 138
- 39: Warhammer World Event - The Return to Vigos (archived)
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