The Waning

The Waning was an era of the Age of the Imperium that lasted from the the late 38th Millennium until ca. 744.M41.

It was characterised by a slow degradation of the Imperium's stability, power and peace as new Chaos and xenos threats assaulted the Emperor's worlds.

With the Imperium's military forces in every branch utterly exhausted by the Redemption Crusades of the prior Age of Redemption, star system after star system fell to Ork invasion, Chaos insurgence, xenos infestation or sheer rebellion.

It came to an end with the start of the greatest period of turmoil and strife in Imperial history since the Horus Heresy, known as the Time of Ending.

History
Anarchy throughout many sectors of the Imperium was rife during a dark period in Imperial history that is now called "the Waning."

Ever more star systems are turned over by the Administratum to direct rule by Space Marine Chapters to preserve stability as only the Astartes possessed the inviolable military strength required to restore Imperial control in the more lawless regions of the galaxy.

To combat the spreading anarchy, the Adeptus Terra imposed ever stricter rules, doling out ever harsher punishments. Portents of doom were both incessant and relentless. The prescient foretold of great ripples in the Warp, like a swell in the water disturbed by some colossal but unseen menace.

Grim Harvest
During the "Grim Harvest" in 666.M38, a great armada of misshapen space hulks drifted out of the Warp near Terra. Some of the twisted and fused starships could still be identified as transports carrying pilgrims from the Lost Crusade.

The Lost Crusade had begun in 754.M37, when, on thousands of planets, menials rebelled against their dreary drudgery with wild-eyed leaders espousing a better way of life -- a galaxy of tolerance. The movement had been especially popular amongst the youth of the Imperium, earning it the title of "Children's Crusade."

Billions of earnest pilgrims were lured to seek transport to Terra; some were waylaid by pirates, but the majority disappeared into the Warp. They became known collectively as the "Lost Crusade."

The Inquisition worked feverishly to cover up the Grim Harvest fleet's existence and its cargo of mutant and daemon-possessed abominations.

Other Conflicts
In 001.M39 the Conflict of Helica unfolded.

In 103.M39 the Mausolean Cataclysm struck the Imperium.

Redemption Crusades
In 131.M39, a new round of Redemption Crusades began. In each of the segmentums of the Imperium a great hero emerged. Like unto the Primarchs of old were these warriors, and the combined efforts of their Imperial Crusades push back the borders of the Imperium further than they have been for nearly 500 standard years.

And then, 50 Terran years later, the five heroes vanished without a trace, spurring Ecclesiarch Inovian III to declare them Imperial Saints returned to the Emperor's side.

Gothic War
A Black Crusade is the term used to describe a number of mass incursions by Chaos Space Marines and the other forces of Chaos into Imperial space from the Eye of Terror that began in the centuries after the Horus Heresy.

The most prominent of these were the Black Crusades led by the Black Legion's Warmaster of Chaos and Horus' successor as the greatest Champion of Chaos Undivided, Abaddon the Despoiler.

In 139.M41, the 12th Black Crusade, better known as the "Gothic War," was a vast campaign launched by Abaddon that engulfed the Gothic Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus after that sector was cut off from Imperial reinforcements and communications by a series of massive Warp Storms produced by the will of the Ruinous Powers.

It consisted of hundreds of planetary invasions and naval battles spanning the time period 139.M41 - 160.M41 and only ended when Abaddon and his Chaos Space Marines, Renegade Chapters, daemonic hosts and rebellious Chaos Cults were forced to retreat into the Immaterium with the arrival of Imperial reinforcements as the Warp Storms that had provided cover for their invasion finally dissipated just as mysteriously as they had begun.

On the Imperial side, dozens of Space Marine Chapters, nearly 100 Astra Militarum regiments and the better part of three Titan Legions took part, along with every naval vessel the Battlefleet Obscurus could muster.

The conflict saw the destruction of several planets and four of the six irreplaceable ancient alien artefacts known as the Blackstone Fortresses as well as the deaths of millions, if not billions, of Imperial citizens.

Most significantly, the events of the Gothic War revealed the true nature and purpose of the ancient spaceborne alien artefacts known to the Imperium as the Blackstone Fortresses, which had been created by the Old Ones to be used against the Necrons and were capable of destabilising stars and destroying entire solar systems.

Most importantly, Abaddon and the forces of Chaos were able to escape back into the Eye of Terror with two of the Blackstone Fortresses, their future purpose unknown.

Macharian Crusade and Heresy
This period saw the Macharian Conquests (also called the Macharian Crusade) of 392-399.M41 during which Lord Commander Solar Macharius, the Lord of the Segmentum Solar, mustered the greatest human army the galaxy had seen since the Great Crusade.

In only seven standard years, Macharius reconquered a thousand worlds on the western reaches of the Imperium and his glory carried him into the darkest sectors, places where the Emperor's light had never been known.

Upon his death, the whole Imperium wept for the lost commander, but Macharius' conquered territories soon collapsed into rivalry and civil war. The Macharian Heresy, as this time is now known, lasted for seventy standard years and was only ended through the combined efforts of one hundred Space Marine Chapters.

Tears of the Emperor
In 500.M41, in an event known as the Tears of the Emperor, the Imperium was swept by visions of the Emperor's tears.

From backwards Feral Worlds to the most densely populated Hive Worlds, a million versions of the same story are told by holy men, street agitators, shamans, priests, and mystics. Primitives point to storm-filled skies, claiming that the drops falling from them are the tears of their mighty god.

Upon Ecclesiarchy Cardinal Worlds, Arch-Deacons to lowly pilgrims claim to have seen statues of the divine Emperor shed tears. Chapter Masters and hive city urchins alike have visions of the Emperor stirring upon His throne, tears running from His empty sockets.

Although the dreams take myriad forms, all know that the Emperor weeps not for Himself, but for the plight of Humanity.