The Light Side of 40k

       What makes the lore of 40k so alluring? Is it the epic battles? Is it the Exterminatus of a planet? Is it the titan battles? No. I think it is the characters. Everyone loves the hero. From the Emperor of Mankind to the lowliest guardsman. Whether it is the unlikeliest of heroes from the most unlikeliest of place to the ultimate fighter cutting swathes through the enemies of all that is good, the hero is the one that inspires us to be a better person. The archetype of the hero doesn't matter, he just needs to defeat his enemies. The need to see the hero defeat all the odds to succeed even if it costs him everything. His life, or even his soul, may be on the line. The universe allows for all types of heroes to overcome their odds or just die trying sometimes. Even the armies of chaos or orks can have that archetype hero. The narrative allows for the ork warlord that is trying to save his clan against the tyranid scourge. But usually, it is easier to connect with a human, or genetically altered human, than some strange alien race that is a bit racially profiled like the orks.

        For today, I would like to talk of the heroes of Mankind. They are the ones that are easier to connect with, in most cases. The Imperial Guard are the bread & butter of the universe. They are the infinite hoard of lasgun toting soldiers that fight for the existence of mankind. In almost any story, you can find a guardsman. They are the army, navy and planetary soldier that defend their home lands every day. They have a strict, I mean STRICT, military organization. If things go bad for you in the guard, you don't get court marshaled. You get executed on the spot. Which brings me to the first character I would like to talk about. The Commissar. What would be cooler than to be the guy in the trench coat that everyone is afraid of? Break formation and Sergeant Tom gets a bolter shell to his forehead. How better to prove what a good and noble cause fighting for the Emperor is? This guy is arguably cooler than any other position in the imperial army. Especially considering the highest field rank is Colonel.


       Then, there is the spiritual leader of the Space Marines. What is more grim dark than a 8 foot tall black armor-clad, skull helmeted, power weapon wielding hero? The chaplain is the spiritual leader of the chapters. They drive (or maybe scare) the space marines forward to destroy their foes for the "good" of mankind. "In the name of the Emperor and in the name of .... (insert primarch  or chapter master name)!" Hopefully, they scare the bejeebies  out of whoever they are charging at.  It would work on me, for sure.

     The only thing that scares me more than that is the whole adeptus sororitas. Because there is something not right about form fitting power armor.