Human

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Humans (Homo sapiens) are one of the primary races in the galaxy. In M41 the majority of humans are part of the Imperium of Man, although other human civilisations are known to exist.

History

A human Guardsman of the Imperium of Mankind.

Originally little more than tree-beasts, humans originated from the planet Terra. While one with their ecosystem, they had no greater role defined for them by the Old Ones, an ancient and powerful race that ruled the Galaxy in its infancy. However, following the destruction of the Old Ones in the War in Heaven, humans went on to develop in unforeseen and uncontrolled ways as raw uncontrolled evolution took hold.[7] Eventually humans went on to colonize the galaxy during the Dark Age of Technology. Almost nothing is known about human civilisation in this time, having been lost in the chaos of the Age of Strife. Many of humanity's shattered colonies were reunified by the Emperor during the Great Crusade, becoming the early Imperium.[4]

The recorded history of humanity can be divided into roughly four periods:

Overview

A human Soldier of the Severan Dominate.

Humans are one of the most prodigious races of the galaxy and are known for their ability to colonize almost any world as well as easily reproduce, unlike the likes of the Eldar who lived on carefully cultivated worlds and are slow to multiply.[12][19] Compared to older races such as the Eldar and Necrons, humans are short-lived, living only a few decades naturally.[9] Kin consider the average human lifespan in M42 to be around 53 years.[18] However, humans possess Juvenat medical treatments which can extend that lifespan to several centuries for those with the status and wealth.[10][24] Meanwhile, those blessed with the genetic augmentation of the Adeptus Astartes or Adeptus Custodes can live even far beyond this.[20][21][24]

Despite their presence across the galaxy, humans are physically slow and clumsy when compared to the Eldar[11], who also regard them as far less mentally advanced.[12] Necrons hold a similar view, looking down on humans as primitive and dimwitted barbarians.[9] They also pale in strength and resilience when compared to the likes of the Orks.[13] Even newer races such as the Tau consider humans to be reckless and barbaric.[17]

While less overtly physically advanced than the likes of the Eldar, the humans are still considered a psychic race and have relatively large levels of Psyker prevalence in their society.[15] Other races view this as dangerous given their weakness before Chaos, and groups such as the Cabal have formed in the past to attempt to meddle in human affairs to prevent them from inadvertently allowing the Primordial Annihilator to consume the galaxy.[14] However other Eldar, such as Eldrad Ulthran, believe humanity may one day inherit their mantle and be a valuable ally against Chaos.[16]

Physiology

Diagram of the human skeleton included in The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer.[22]

The Imperium teaches that the sacred human form is a paradigm of perfection and purity. This believed superiority codifies a belief that it is right and just to dominate all "lesser creatures", being anything not human.[22]

The human body has 206 bones. This coincides with the Catechism of Sacred Form's 206 stanzas. The principle bone configurations are: the skull, the rib cage (or chest wall), and the spine. To these configurations are attached the limbs.[22]

  • Skull: The skull is the cogitator of the human body. It is made up of 22 bones, 14 of which make up the face.[22]
  • Ribcage: The Ribcage is made up of 24 ribs, containing vital organs that can be thought of as the processors of the body. The chest and its content are also known as the thorax.[22]
  • Spine: The spine or vertebral column consists of 26 irregularly shaped bones divided into 5 parts: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal. The spinal cord functions as an internal processing duct, as well as being the individual's pillar of balance and flexibility. The spinal column contains and regulates the balance of humours, as well as regulates chemical and electro-traffic within the whole body.[22]

Joints are where two bones come together (apposition) to form articulation. This afford the human form the ability for movement and perambulation. The bones are held together by ligaments, and movement is aided by cartilage and a secreted lubricant (synovial fluid). Classification of joints are as follows:[22]

  • Fixed: (sutures) allow no movement.[22]
  • Ball/socket: (hip, shoulder) allow a great deal of motion and allows the limb to move in nearly every direction.[22]
  • Hinge: (knee, elbow) permit movement in one plane, like a door.[22]
  • Pivot: (vertebrae of the spine, head) allow one bone to rotate around another, stationary one.
  • Gliding: (wrists) are when bones move a little by sliding over each other.[22]

Muscles provide movement. Their appearance is like lean meat and their function is the same as a piston. They make up 50% of a human's body weight. The brain commands the muscles to move and the skeleton and joints follow their directional pulls. Regular exercise will increase muscle mass, thus increasing strength.[22]

Human Civilisations

Imperium of Mankind

Main article: Imperium

The majority of humans exist within the Imperium of Mankind. The Imperial Cult preaches that humanity has a Manifest Destiny to conquer the entire galaxy, to the point where alien species are seen as inferior and many believe are worthy of nothing but extinction.[25]

The Lost and the Damned

Main article: The Lost and the Damned

The next greatest concentration of humans exist as the Lost and the Damned, and reside primarily, though not exclusively, in the Eye of Terror. Not a coherent civilisation as such, they exist as part of a diverse and infinite collection of warbands and hosts under the leadership of Chaos Champions. Due to the nature of the Warp, some of these humans are the original Imperial subjects who sided with the Warmaster Horus during the Horus Heresy, though their number has been greatly supplemented by more recent humans who have turned to Chaos, or slaves captured as part of the many raids out of the Eye.[26]

Tau Empire

Main article: Gue'vesa Auxiliaries

Less xenophobic than the Imperium, the Tau Empire has no qualms in letting other races join it. Whilst few in number, some humans have done so and exist within the Empire where they are known as Gue'vesa.[1] These humans for the most part are descendants of Imperial Guard troops who were abandoned in Tau space during the Damocles Crusade, however it is not unheard of for Imperial planets to want to secede from the Imperium to join the Tau Empire.[2]

Independent Civilisations

Other human civilisations are extremely rare. This is mostly due to the fact that the Imperium considers itself to have an automatic right to rule all of humanity, and ruthlessly suppresses any attempt to secede from it. Similarly, any lost colonies that are rediscovered from the Dark Age of Technology are also incorporated into the Imperium whether they want to be or not. Despite this, a few independent human civilisations have been known to exist, such as the Interex, Diasporex, Auretian Technocracy, Gordian League, Adrantis Five, Prophets of Fury, and the Krull.

Lost Colonies

When the Age of Strife descended on the galaxy, the majority of human colonies were cut off from one another and forced to survive on their own. Interstellar travel via the warp was significantly disrupted or near-impossible for millennia due to widespread warp storms. In some cases, this meant that worlds devolved into considerably more primitive societies as the knowledge to create and maintain technology was lost. The Great Crusade reunited many thousands of lost colonies back into the Imperium, yet every now and then changes in the warp mean that new colonies are discovered. Whilst nobody can know for sure how many, there are almost certainly more colonies still cut off from the rest of humanity, waiting to be discovered.

Rebellious Systems

The Imperium keeps a tight grip over its planets, yet every now and then planets or groups of planets do attempt to secede from the Imperium. This may be the result of the Planetary Governor believing he can get away with independence, or it may be the result of revolution that deposes those in power. Many of these successions are orchestrated by the powers of Chaos, and the humans that are part of it should be counted as the Lost and the Damned, however there are also occasions when a planet decides it wants to be independent of the Imperium through its own volition, such as the case of the Severan Dominate, or the Kingdom of Vanir. Regardless of the cause, these independent realms rarely last long as they are swiftly and brutally subjugated back into the Imperium.

Pirates

Main article: Pirate

The only independent civilisation with any real sustainability, some humans evade the Imperium's clutches and live outside of its reach in bands of ships existing through raids and piracy. Often allying themselves with Eldar or other Xenos, these humans are swiftly put down if they are caught by Imperial authorities.[3]

Void Born

Main article: Void Born

Some humans are born in the depths of isolated Space Stations or the bowels of voidships. They are ill-omened folk, often thought to be touched by the warp in some way. Entire colonies of void born humans live generations in the bowels of these colossal vessels and exposed to the perplexities of warp travel more than most planet-bound civilisations. These space born populations are especially common aboard mining and trading vessels. They're more accustomed to the fluctuations of gravity, such as those of low or even zero-gravity environments. Pallid skin and drawn features are common, and there is typically an inherent strangeness to them, whether it be a minor deformity, or oddness to speech, gait or general appearance.[23]

Other Human Species

Main article: Abhuman

Throughout the long history of the Imperium and before, the human race has mutated into a variety of stable species, known as abhumans. Abhumans are tolerated to a varying degree within the Imperium due to the fact that they are seen as being close enough to humans to be accepted. Not all abhumans are part of the Imperium, as evidenced by the Squats of the Leagues of Votann.[8]

See also

Sources

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