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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→History
==History==
During the [[Age of Strife]], the Priests of [[Mars ]] sent out many expeditions of spacecraft, hoping to find remnants of human knowledge on other worlds. They found an anarchic galaxy where the ancient confederacy of interdependent human planets no longer existed. The human worlds discovered retained little of their old technology. They had devolved into feudal states ruled by aristocratic nobles who welcomed the [[Techpriests]] as long-awaited saviours. The Tech-priests settled among these feudal empires, or [[Knight Worlds]], choosing planets that were mineral rich where they could rebuild their industries. They established contacts with the Knights, trading with their worlds and investigating the ancient ruins where surviving technology could still sometimes be found. The Knights provided manpower and security against enemies such as marauding [[Ork]]s and land-hungry Eldar [[Exodite]]s. In return the Tech-priests provided technical expertise and help rebuilding their planets.{{Cite This}}
Over the millennia the [[Forge World]]s became powerful and the Knight Worlds flourished under their wing. The Tech-priests and Knights became mutually dependent and each Forge World became the hub of an empire consisting of a Forge World and its surrounding Knight Worlds. The Knights learned much from the Tech-priests and their societies were gradually transformed into technically sophisticated cultures. Many of the Forge Worlds managed to maintain sporadic contact with each other, and the Tech-priests' obsession with knowledge ensured that discoveries on one world were distributed to others throughout the galaxy.{{Cite This}}