Setting
In the developing Warhammer 40,000 backstory, by the 30th millennium the "Emperor of Mankind," Founder and Head of the newly constituted Imperium of Man, has become a major proponent of Order in the Milky Way galaxy, and one of the most formidable enemies of Chaos and its forces. After consolidating his rule on Terra (Earth) and genetically engineering Legions of superhuman warriors (the Space Marines), he embarks, early in the 31st millennium, on a Great Crusade. The objective is to unify the millions of human space colonies scattered throughout the galaxy under an Imperial Truth of science and reason, and against religion and superstition – by extension weakening the influence of Chaos on the human race and its evolution. Promoting the notions of Order and Truth from a strictly human perspective as put forth by the Emperor, the Imperium has declared the Milky Way the exclusive, rightful domain of Humankind; it maintains that ruling the galaxy is the species' "Manifest Destiny."
While the Emperor is the Supreme Commander of the Crusade's many Expeditions, the Space Marine Legions and the rest of the Imperial military forces are eventually led by his genetically engineered progeny, a group of twenty Primarchs, who are in every aspect even mightier than Space Marines.
Read more about this topic: Horus Heresy
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