Author's Note: IMPORTANT PLEASE READ - AT LEAST JUST THIS SECTION
This is a story of alternate humanity. There is no Age of Strife. There is no Emperor. There is no Imperium.
If this statement already turned you off, it is best you leave. This is not an arrogant challenge of "don't like, don't read." Instead, it is just a recommendation as a matter of taste. This story essentially trashed all the Imperium of Man lore. The humanity here developed far differently than it did in Canon. It will be unfair both to you and to me if you come in expecting a Warhammer 40K with something extra, not an overhaul.
This is a crossover between Touhou and Warhammer 40K. More details of each universe can be found in respective wiki, but this is short for attention span sake.
In the 3rd Millennium, all the fantastical and mythological elements of Touhou was reintroduced to early Humanity. This shaped their development until the 30th Millennium and beyond. By all right, Humanity exists as a magical civilization, where three main species, Human, Youkai, and Lunarians (all sharing same root on Earth) united under the single banner of the Grand Federation of Sol.
This is the Humanity, a xenophilic advanced civilization in which the Age of Technology never end. When magic and technology flourishes in equal regards. An uninterrupted cumulation of progress as many millennia ticked by.
A xenophilic high civilization that is about to get a rude awakening. In the form of the Ancient Aeldari Empire…that just about to birth Slaanesh.
Functionally, they are Drukhari with access to all the technology of their million years of civilization.
As the TTS Rogal Dorn will put it…
"Bad...Very Bad."
Magic exists as an antithesis of Psychic power in this setting. They react very badly against each other. Human magical technology is designed to tolerate warp storm prevalent during this time, but not the psychic might of the Aeldari.
This is the story of Humanity in their darkest time.
Against the Aeldari at the zenith of their civilization, their technology failed.
This is the story of their desperate defense.
In which 347,964 worlds were reduced to 1.
A disclaimer: I am not a Warhammer 40k lore expert by any means.
This story will be written in the more episodic, interspersed with Wiki format, due to my real-life commitment and the commitment to my other main stories.
Premise Explanation
The Humanity in this setting is a strange bunch after the fantastical side of Touhou was reintroduced in early 3rd Millennium.
That time saw the reintroduction of two new cohabitant of Earth and Moon, Youkai and Lunarian, respectively, and magic.
Youkais are monsters and gods of human various mythologies. Vampires, were-beasts, Kitsune, and many more fall under this category. Gods exist as separate, yet similar in that they have origin in the collective mythology of Earth. Lunarian is human who have sequestered themselves on the Moon. Bless with near amortal longevity, their magical and technological achievement far outstrip the capability of early humans.
The uneasy coalition of these three diverse races gave birth to a society that is xenophilic and tolerant, else they would not be able to cope with their own demographics. They formed what is now formally known as Grand Federation of Sol. Even as they progressed beyond simple federation toward unitary republic as the time ticked by, the name stuck.
TLDR: Coalition of three races in a democratic unitary government achieving the Age of Technology by 30th Millennium.
Now, to address the magic.
Magic of Touhou has cost, but it has no disastrous side-effect of the warp-based ability. It has been so for thousands of years in its original setting, so I feel that just lumping them as another form psychic warp ability is not a good idea. But, having it existing in vacuum is…off in 40K. Essentially psychic power, but no drawback, nah.
Instead, mana and psychic ability is polar opposite and will annihilate each other in a very energetic release of energy. Warp energy heavily interferes with mana, vice versa. Psykers and magicians deal ruinous damage on each other in a fight. There are exceptions where both powers tolerate each other but will never be able to work together.
Youkai and Lunarians are magical creatures. As their very existence is an antithesis to warp, they can never be corrupted by Chaos. Unfortunately, since their soul is mana-based, dying in or near the Immaterium or by the daemons will implode their souls.
Human are born with either the ability to harness mana or the connection to the warp, never both. The former is unaffected by Chaos, but the latter majority are. They can even be born as Psykers.
TLDR: Magic and Warp annihilate each other. Youkai and Lunarians are strictly magical. Human can be either magical or connected to the Immaterium.
Another interesting point, which also a reason for the Eldars targeting humanity, is that Psykers and magical creatures perceive each other as how one would perceive a blank/Pariah.
Normal guardsman has no discomfort interacting with either the Psykers or the Youkai, even as he possesses weak connections to the warp. However, the beings that gravitate strongly toward either magic or warp will feel instinctive "wrongness" from the other.
Psykers' and magicians' power do not harm each other when they stand next to each other, only doing so when they actively use their power. This makes the psychic null in original 40K setting just a magician with poor control, radiating mana passively. Mana null is essentially just an unsanctioned Psyker, releasing unchecked warp energy that damages nearby mana-based beings and technology.
This is the reason Humanity survived the warp storm that marked the Age of Strike in 40K very much intact. They can easily identify and contain unsanctioned Psyker. Should demonic incursion happen, they have a powerful blank to combat them.
Unfortunately, since in 40K, an Aeldari Warlocks described Culexus Assassins (blank) as nothing short of the absolute abomination and embodiment of pure evil…It is no wonder the Aeldari saw Humanity as a species that needed to be culled from the galaxy, especially when they are so depraved beyond rational thought before the Fall of their empire.
TLDR: Psykers and magicians/Youkari are blank/Pariah to each other. This saved Humanity from falling to the predation of Chaos and Age of Strife. At the same time, it is also the reason the Aeldari sought to scour them from the stars.
Now, at this point, people might think this is a humanity-duck-yeah story. Well, yes, but actually no.
The line "from hundred thousands, one," is used contemporary is GFS after the first phase of the war as an inspirational motto. It is the statement of their unity in their purpose, their hatred, and their burden. But it is also very literal.
This might be a spoiler, but it is the journey that interest me.
Out of 347,964 systems inhabited by Humanity, only Sol remains.
Yes. Only Sol remains.
As much of a heresy it would be to suggest, Humanity owed its survival to Slaanesh, who was born into unreality right as the Eldar was about to set of on a final assault on the cradle of Humanity.
TLDR: While powerful magicians and Youkais did not fall short of Aeldari Warlocks, their technology not working in their adversary's presence resulted in Humanity being curb-stomped in fashion that would make Halo's Covenant blushes.
The second phase of the Great War is when the humanity rebuild itself from the ashes. Much has been lost, but unlike the Imperium of Man, they never lost the beating heart of human civilization. For they may have lost their vast industrial capacity, but their technological achievements and spirit of innovation endure.
TLDR: This fic will cover the devasting Fall of Humanity and their subsequent rise from the ashes.
Short Description of Pre-Fall Humanity
Syncretic Evolution:
Three distinct species co-evolved in the Sol system. Youkai has the largest known subspecies in the known universe with more branching out or going extinct by the years, allowing great flexibility and degree of specialization. This also results in the society that is very tolerant and democratic.
Magical Civilization:
More than 45% of the population is capable of harnessing mana to some degree. This allows a syncretic development of magical technology, Magitech. The sum is greater than its part. Their magically inclined individuals that also prove to be a match for any powerful Psykers of the galaxy.
Warp-independent FTL Drive and Communication:
Humanity Faster-than-Light travel and communication does not rely on warp. Instead, they utilize a way station to generate temporary spatial wormhole between two systems for the ship or communication signal to pass through. Warp storm is not an issue for them, nor is daemon onboard entertainment during transit.
AI Automation and Machine Spirit:
Humanity utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) extensively from daily life to bureaucratic, research, and military purpose. This allows great degree of optimization. Truly self-aware, sentient AI is prohibited, however as that poses too much security risk to the systems that underpin their civilization.
Machine Spirit is a sub-class of Tsukumogami, a Youkai that inhabit various objects, in this case, machines. They have their own ego and is fully recognized as citizen by the GFS. Their specialization in their inhabiting machine is useful and limited the reach to damage other system.
Artificer Tradition:
Humanity has a strange fixation on crafting artifacts, defined as technological or magical object with capabilities ahead of its time. Often the Magnum Opus of magicians and researchers, these objects are passed down as the heritage for the future generation. They can take any shape and form.
The creation method of these artifacts is never lost or inaccessible, but merely cost-prohibitive to mass produced at the time they are first created.
Short Description of Post-Fall Humanity
From Hundred Thousands, One
Started from the day that Demetorius VII burned, The Great War against the Aeldari have not ended. Not when each day brought more harrowing news than the last. Not when their wretched armies marched on the cradle of Humanity. Not until the day their vengeance is complete.
For all the political quagmire that the Federation can devolve into, the cry for vengeance is the thread that binds them all together.
Anathema
During the devastation of the early Great War, magical beings, one of the very few weapons that could combat Aeldari equally, were drafted en masse from the various planets of the Federation. With the beings that served as the final safeguard against daemonic incursion occurring through the Psykers, many planets with insufficient defense fell to Chaos.
This, along with the losses of the war, resulted in humanity becoming almost entirely magically aligned race, no different than Youkai and Lunarian. The writhing tide of the Immaterium and the ferocity that consumed Humanity at war left made psychically attuned population even more susceptible to the daemons.
Out of everything, this is their most powerful gift they paid dearly for, the almost near complete immunity toward Chaos influence.
Outnumbered
The Asuryani outnumbered Humanity. Period.
Will be added to and modified as necessary. But this is the general direction that this story will take. Please be nice on this Warhammer 40K newbie.
Final Notes:
Rather than dropping Warhammer people into Touhou or vice-versa with minimal change, it will be interesting to explore the Warhammer setting with a new humanity from ground up. In addition to the same unbowed spirit and Adamantium balls, this humanity has the clear power to overcome this challenge. There is the light beyond the tunnel if they could endure.
This will be a less grimdark, but to drop it completely would not be Warhammer. No, there is plenty of Warhammer 40K form of irony to be had.
The most delicious matter will be the matter of the Eldars. Perhaps more than Ynnead, Humanity is probably their best bet to kick Slaanesh teeth in for a change…if it does not bring him/her/it joy. Unfortunately, humans hate Eldars even more than Chaos. While Chaos did play a part in turning some of their planets to Daemon World, it is still the Eldars who enabled it in the first place. And Youkais have grossly long lives and memory.
Probably the one thing Humanity and Necrons agree on.
And when Ynnari inevitably cropped up, Humanity will most likely try to fight them more than any other faction. They are the last hope of the Aeldari. What better thing to do that crush it? And the Drukhari in the faction also resemble the ancient Eldars in their cruelty too, continually murderf*cking each other even after the Fall.
I just want to put this idea to the pen, lest I forget it with how chaotic my daily life is.
Tell me what you guys think.