Emperor of Mankind
The founder of the Imperium, an enigmatic and mysterious persona known only as "the Emperor" or "Emperor of Mankind," is an immortal of immeasurable psychic power.
The Emperor does not participate in affairs of state for medical reasons. Over 10,000 years ago, near the end of the Horus Heresy, he is critically injured in battle and never recovers; since then he survives on life support in an unresponsive state. What little consciousness the Emperor does maintain is devoted to projecting a psychic beacon, the Astronomican, to help human starships navigate the parallel dimension of the Warp where faster than light travel is possible. It is believed that he is sometimes able to psychically communicate vague visions of the future that trained psykers may interpret through special tarot cards, but otherwise he cannot explicitly communicate his will. However throughout the Imperium he is worshipped as god, savior, and the protector of Humanity: the Imperium's motto is "The Emperor protects."
Read more about this topic: Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
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