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Sterling191 wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:

So a different skin tone and eye colour is less human than, say, tiny hobbit creatures with rodent faces? Or giant flabby dumb-dumbs that can bench a Terminator wet? Or minotaurs? Not to open a huge can of worms, but skintone and eyecolour are not abnormal. At the end of the day, Nocturneans are just humans - 2 hands, 2 feet, 2 eyes and 5-6ft tall. Once you start adding whiskers, tails, horns and going outside those normal height ranges (ie, Demiurg, Ratlings, Orgryns) then you move into the mutation and abhuman scale.

Since you apparently didnt read, I'll just quote myself:

Sterling191 wrote:


There are specific genetic purity codes (administered by various Adepta within the Imperial beurocacy). If you meet them, you’re fine. If you don’t, you’re either abhuman, or a mutant. What happens to you is dependent on how far you deviate from the regs.

Appearance isn’t in and of itself indicative of anything.

Sanctioned Abhumans, despite their appearance, are compliant with the aforementioned purity dictates.

I think you got the wrong impression - was replying to that conversation in general, guess I quoted the wrong post! Specifically, I was agreeing with you in principle - appearance doesn't matter. But disagreeing - only to a point. A human with royal blue skin and golden hair is random and wierd but ultimately just another colour. Add a cat tail and whiskers and you're heading into WTF hentai territory and that equals purging.

Overread wrote:I'm pretty sure that the humans who live at the top of society do have colour changing hair and skintones and a load of other things. However augmentation by technology is allowed; its very different from mutation from birth.

My only point was that as a general rule, humans with wierd hair colour or skintones or eyes or teeth are not something to bat an eye at. Because high-life humans can have multispectral hairdye and genetically altered teeth that shine silver in UV light, a Nocturean or even a Deliverance native isn't going to raise an eyebrow. Different coloured humans, obviously, but still humans.

Felinids, Beastmen, Ratlings, Squats - they are verging away from human entirely into a different species.

Fascism requires a fear of moral or physical degeneration to instill a proper level of obedience within its citizenry. In-universe, the setting of 40k makes the fascists at least partially correct in that fear: Psykers, mutants, and heretical knowledge have actually caused degeneration and collapse in imperial and pre-imperial human worlds.

Looking down on abhumans, and to other extents totally peaceful xenos races and relatively safe sanctioned imperial psykers, is the natural result of that fear amplified by ignorance. The imperium does not provide its citizenry with informed means by which to establish which mutant is a threat, they tell them "Abhor the mutant. Kill the alien. Purge the heretic."

Abhumans are mutants. Therefore they must be abhorred. Simple as that.

chimera0205 wrote:
Yknow given how redicoulously stupid Ogryns are im genuinely confused as to how the feth any of there worlds survived the great strife with anything that even vaguely resembled a society. I mean we know for a fact that not all Ogryn worlds are feral worlds but hoooowwwwwwwwwwwwww?!

There are multiple in-universe explanations hinted at: the first is that ogryns are effectively top predator humans – lions, wolves and similar have a form of society in the pride or pack.

Another angle makes them out to be equivalent to Homo Neanderthalis (physically more resilient, less capable of abstract thought), and you'll see how a society would form. It's (arguably) not as sophisticated to our eyes, but still there.

 Apologist wrote:


There are multiple in-universe explanations hinted at: the first is that ogryns are effectively top predator humans – lions, wolves and similar have a form of society in the pride or pack.

Another angle makes them out to be equivalent to Homo Neanderthalis (physically more resilient, less capable of abstract thought), and you'll see how a society would form. It's (arguably) not as sophisticated to our eyes, but still there.

Both of these are reasons why they're so valued as both laborers and soldiers. They form extremely loyal and tight knit communities, and they're exceptionally resilient.

 Deadshot wrote:

Sterling191 wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:

So a different skin tone and eye colour is less human than, say, tiny hobbit creatures with rodent faces? Or giant flabby dumb-dumbs that can bench a Terminator wet? Or minotaurs? Not to open a huge can of worms, but skintone and eyecolour are not abnormal. At the end of the day, Nocturneans are just humans - 2 hands, 2 feet, 2 eyes and 5-6ft tall. Once you start adding whiskers, tails, horns and going outside those normal height ranges (ie, Demiurg, Ratlings, Orgryns) then you move into the mutation and abhuman scale.

Since you apparently didnt read, I'll just quote myself:

Sterling191 wrote:


There are specific genetic purity codes (administered by various Adepta within the Imperial beurocacy). If you meet them, you’re fine. If you don’t, you’re either abhuman, or a mutant. What happens to you is dependent on how far you deviate from the regs.

Appearance isn’t in and of itself indicative of anything.

Sanctioned Abhumans, despite their appearance, are compliant with the aforementioned purity dictates.

I think you got the wrong impression - was replying to that conversation in general, guess I quoted the wrong post! Specifically, I was agreeing with you in principle - appearance doesn't matter. But disagreeing - only to a point. A human with royal blue skin and golden hair is random and wierd but ultimately just another colour. Add a cat tail and whiskers and you're heading into WTF hentai territory and that equals purging.

Overread wrote:I'm pretty sure that the humans who live at the top of society do have colour changing hair and skintones and a load of other things. However augmentation by technology is allowed; its very different from mutation from birth.

My only point was that as a general rule, humans with wierd hair colour or skintones or eyes or teeth are not something to bat an eye at. Because high-life humans can have multispectral hairdye and genetically altered teeth that shine silver in UV light, a Nocturean or even a Deliverance native isn't going to raise an eyebrow. Different coloured humans, obviously, but still humans.

Felinids, Beastmen, Ratlings, Squats - they are verging away from human entirely into a different species.

Wouldnt a human with royal blue skin and golden hair look even less human than a freaking eldar? Also wierd ass skin color is plenty enough to be alien. Think of how many fictional alien species litterally are just wierdly colored humans. Would like Gamorras race from the MCU be considered humans?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Apologist wrote:

chimera0205 wrote:
Yknow given how redicoulously stupid Ogryns are im genuinely confused as to how the feth any of there worlds survived the great strife with anything that even vaguely resembled a society. I mean we know for a fact that not all Ogryn worlds are feral worlds but hoooowwwwwwwwwwwwww?!

There are multiple in-universe explanations hinted at: the first is that ogryns are effectively top predator humans – lions, wolves and similar have a form of society in the pride or pack.

Another angle makes them out to be equivalent to Homo Neanderthalis (physically more resilient, less capable of abstract thought), and you'll see how a society would form. It's (arguably) not as sophisticated to our eyes, but still there.
[/quote.





Nah what i mean is how did they maintain any sort of technology like at all. I mean even making a sword is far too complex a task for a Ogryn.

chimera0205 wrote:


Wouldnt a human with royal blue skin and golden hair look even less human than a freaking eldar? Also wierd ass skin color is plenty enough to be alien. Think of how many fictional alien species litterally are just wierdly colored humans. Would like Gamorras race from the MCU be considered humans?

What part of "what matters is the genetic analysis and comparison to enshrined purity codes, not outward appearance" is confusing to you?

Yeah, whilst there would be some prejudice, as long as the blue man's DNA is sufficiently human with no signs of chaotic taint he will be tolerated.
Gamorra is quite literally an alien. She's gonna get shot once they test her blood.

chimera0205 wrote:

Yknow given how redicoulously stupid Ogryns are im genuinely confused as to how the feth any of there worlds survived the great strife with anything that even vaguely resembled a society. I mean we know for a fact that not all Ogryn worlds are feral worlds but hoooowwwwwwwwwwwwww?!

They punched any emergent psykers to death for being weird. Then they beat any xeno raiders to death for being filthy xeno.
Bigotry and intolerance have virtues in 40k that intelligence can't match.

chimera0205 wrote:

 Apologist wrote:

chimera0205 wrote:
Yknow given how redicoulously stupid Ogryns are im genuinely confused as to how the feth any of there worlds survived the great strife with anything that even vaguely resembled a society. I mean we know for a fact that not all Ogryn worlds are feral worlds but hoooowwwwwwwwwwwwww?!

There are multiple in-universe explanations hinted at: the first is that ogryns are effectively top predator humans – lions, wolves and similar have a form of society in the pride or pack.

Another angle makes them out to be equivalent to Homo Neanderthalis (physically more resilient, less capable of abstract thought), and you'll see how a society would form. It's (arguably) not as sophisticated to our eyes, but still there.

Nah what i mean is how did they maintain any sort of technology like at all. I mean even making a sword is far too complex a task for a Ogryn.

Most ogryn worlds are implied to be feral worlds, a category which:

'[...]is defined as a planet whose population is composed of nomadic hunter-gatherers or members of early agricultural societies and who possess technology equivalent to Old Earth's Stone Age, Bronze Age or early Iron Age cultures. Feral Worlds are populated by tribal peoples largely living without the assistance of maintained technology or even agriculture in some cases and the population is usually quite low as a result, ranging from 100,000 to 5,000,000 people. This may be due to an ancient failed human colonisation project from the Dark Age of Technology, ingrained religious preferences, cultural choice, harshness of the environment or some other reason.'

In short, making a sword is too complex – but that doesn't really matter to the Imperium at a macro-level, particularly to a population of ogryns. The inhabitants can be issued weaponry, and given training (or Bionic Ogryn Neural Enhancement, in the specifics of ogryns). Point is that the Imperium contains many worlds that are equivalent to paleolithic or neolithic civilisations. 40k is not a high-tech sci-fi future; it's much broader.

In fact, that's a really important point to make – monolithic as it is, the Imperium is not a monoculture. There are a million worlds, many with histories longer than recorded history. While we can make broad comments on it, the idea that there are any universal rules or opinions within the Imperium is fallacious.

There are almost certainly lots of isolated worlds in wilderness space where mutants and abhumans – even aliens – mix and mingle with humans; and it's only when the Imperium arrives to make its generational tithe that everyone jumps. Sure, the more cosmopolitan worlds are closer to the more familiar (stereotypical) view of an Imperial world, but dig down and you find the potential for a hugely varied setting.

To make any sense of the setting, you've got to be able to get out of a modern mindset, and put yourself in the mindset of a fearful mediaeval peon. Even on a civilised world, you might have all the technology around you – laptop, smartphone, GPS – but you daren't use it. That underlying 1984-style fear is at the heart of the pathetic aesthetic. Humanity is picking over the ruins of a lost golden age.

chimera0205 wrote:

Yknow given how redicoulously stupid Ogryns are im genuinely confused as to how the feth any of there worlds survived the great strife with anything that even vaguely resembled a society. I mean we know for a fact that not all Ogryn worlds are feral worlds but hoooowwwwwwwwwwwwww?!

They punched any emergent psykers to death for being weird. Then they beat any xeno raiders to death for being filthy xeno.
Bigotry and intolerance have virtues in 40k that intelligence can't match.

As regards non feudal Ogryns, what we are talking about is really low IQ descendants of criminals- they can still push buttons and do routine maintenance on machines. Cultural traditions like 'don't take apart the power grid to make french fries' and 'don't destroy the rail network' would have been brutally beaten into the population long before they morphed into Ogryns and the Ogryns simply continued maintaining what they had.

Ogryn populations that hadn't developed that culture would have of course simply devolved to planet caveman, quite rapidly.

 Apologist wrote:

Most ogryn worlds are implied to be feral worlds, a category which:

'[...]is defined as a planet whose population is composed of nomadic hunter-gatherers or members of early agricultural societies and who possess technology equivalent to Old Earth's Stone Age, Bronze Age or early Iron Age cultures. Feral Worlds are populated by tribal peoples largely living without the assistance of maintained technology or even agriculture in some cases and the population is usually quite low as a result, ranging from 100,000 to 5,000,000 people. This may be due to an ancient failed human colonisation project from the Dark Age of Technology, ingrained religious preferences, cultural choice, harshness of the environment or some other reason.'

In short, making a sword is too complex – but that doesn't really matter to the Imperium at a macro-level, particularly to a population of ogryns. The inhabitants can be issued weaponry, and given training (or Bionic Ogryn Neural Enhancement, in the specifics of ogryns). Point is that the Imperium contains many worlds that are equivalent to paleolithic or neolithic civilisations. 40k is not a high-tech sci-fi future; it's much broader.

In fact, that's a really important point to make – monolithic as it is, the Imperium is not a monoculture. There are a million worlds, many with histories longer than recorded history. While we can make broad comments on it, the idea that there are any universal rules or opinions within the Imperium is fallacious.

There are almost certainly lots of isolated worlds in wilderness space where mutants and abhumans – even aliens – mix and mingle with humans; and it's only when the Imperium arrives to make its generational tithe that everyone jumps. Sure, the more cosmopolitan worlds are closer to the more familiar (stereotypical) view of an Imperial world, but dig down and you find the potential for a hugely varied setting.

To make any sense of the setting, you've got to be able to get out of a modern mindset, and put yourself in the mindset of a fearful mediaeval peon. Even on a civilised world, you might have all the technology around you – laptop, smartphone, GPS – but you daren't use it. That underlying 1984-style fear is at the heart of the pathetic aesthetic. Humanity is picking over the ruins of a lost golden age.

On that note, I know that some space marine chapters don't mind recruiting from feral worlds, since they use hypnosis and whatnot to educate their aspirants, but does the imperial guard bother to raise regiments from the more primitive worlds?
It's supposed to be easy to learn how to use and maintain a lasgun, but are there any actual "cavemen with a rifle" regiments? Or bronze age guardsmen?

 Tiennos wrote:

On that note, I know that some space marine chapters don't mind recruiting from feral worlds, since they use hypnosis and whatnot to educate their aspirants, but does the imperial guard bother to raise regiments from the more primitive worlds?
It's supposed to be easy to learn how to use and maintain a lasgun, but are there any actual "cavemen with a rifle" regiments? Or bronze age guardsmen?

They absolutely do (in no small part because the planet has highly limited means to support the wider ImperiuM), and regiments raised from feral, death or other "highliy inimical to survival" biomes often become some of the most effective units.

Tiennos, yes, as Sterling191 says, human flesh and human blood is often the only material a world can offer to pay its tithe.

Regarding 'caveman with a rifle' type regiments, yes. The 3rd ed. Imperial Guard Codex had a cool spread of artworks (see spoiler below). They weren't accompanied by much in the way of detail, but the colour text and appearance certainly included some regiments that fit the look, including those from Morbidia, Qartad, Rasak, Nordian – and especially the Oran I Jaguars and Tangar 'Woad Warrior'.





The spread was intended to demonstrate the sheer variety that makes up the Imperial Guard – and I vaguely recall the text specifically saying something along the lines of 'we'll never get around to making models for them all, so convert and have fun'. The rules also backed it up, with 'warrior weapons' bein an option – basically swapping out lasguns for pistosl and swords.

The lasgun is fantastically designed and so ubiquitous precisely because it's basically a box with a button. It's much simpler than even a modern firearm; and well within the capabilities of even the most benighted feral worlder. In fact, they're probably going to be better with it than a typical civilised world scribe, as they likely already know how to stalk and track the enemy, and are fitter.

 Flinty wrote:
Only squats and ratlings are truly looked down upon... Haha...

*gets coat*

Oof. That's a low blow.

 Apologist wrote:
Tiennos, yes, as Sterling191 says, human flesh and human blood is often the only material a world can offer to pay its tithe.

Regarding 'caveman with a rifle' type regiments, yes. The 3rd ed. Imperial Guard Codex had a cool spread of artworks (see spoiler below). They weren't accompanied by much in the way of detail, but the colour text and appearance certainly included some regiments that fit the look, including those from Morbidia, Qartad, Rasak, Nordian – and especially the Oran I Jaguars and Tangar 'Woad Warrior'.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

The spread was intended to demonstrate the sheer variety that makes up the Imperial Guard – and I vaguely recall the text specifically saying something along the lines of 'we'll never get around to making models for them all, so convert and have fun'. The rules also backed it up, with 'warrior weapons' bein an option – basically swapping out lasguns for pistosl and swords.

The lasgun is fantastically designed and so ubiquitous precisely because it's basically a box with a button. It's much simpler than even a modern firearm; and well within the capabilities of even the most benighted feral worlder. In fact, they're probably going to be better with it than a typical civilised world scribe, as they likely already know how to stalk and track the enemy, and are fitter.

Ah, thanks for the info. Those old designs are pretty cool!

I imagine the most primitive regiments are basically all infantry or rough riders, though. It sounds like a lot of work to teach the cavemen how to calculate artillery shots or how to drive a tank.

 Tiennos wrote:

Ah, thanks for the info. Those old designs are pretty cool!

I imagine the most primitive regiments are basically all infantry or rough riders, though. It sounds like a lot of work to teach the cavemen how to calculate artillery shots or how to drive a tank.

Don't discount them. First, driving isn't a skill that requires high intelligence, and the same is true for operating many machines.
Second, just because the technological state of their world is low, doesn't mean the people are unintelligent. Think of the ballistics involved with a catapult, which is just ropes, wood and rocks.

It will depend whether you are literally handing a rifle to a fully grown caveman or whether you are drafting 16 year old (age of majority is much lower in societies with higher mortality rates) Arniean tribesmen from planet Conan IV. Adolescents learn faster than adults, so they're more likely to learn artillery skills rather than simply applying their field craft to shooting heretics.

 =Angel= wrote:

 Tiennos wrote:

Ah, thanks for the info. Those old designs are pretty cool!

I imagine the most primitive regiments are basically all infantry or rough riders, though. It sounds like a lot of work to teach the cavemen how to calculate artillery shots or how to drive a tank.

Don't discount them. First, driving isn't a skill that requires high intelligence, and the same is true for operating many machines.
Second, just because the technological state of their world is low, doesn't mean the people are unintelligent. Think of the ballistics involved with a catapult, which is just ropes, wood and rocks.

It will depend whether you are literally handing a rifle to a fully grown caveman or whether you are drafting 16 year old (age of majority is much lower in societies with higher mortality rates) Arniean tribesmen from planet Conan IV. Adolescents learn faster than adults, so they're more likely to learn artillery skills rather than simply applying their field craft to shooting heretics.

I'm sure these people could eventually be educated enough to operate and even maintain most equipment, but unless I got that wrong I got the impression that the Imperial Guard doesn't really spend much time on training the troops... Don't they just levy the best soldiers from a world and then ship them to where they're needed as fast as possible?

 Apologist wrote:


Ogryns serve a role that has no equivalent in the Guard.

Crusaders fill the same role as Ogryn. Also, enough infantry squads fill the slot just fine.

Abhumans are not critical for the Imperium's survival. It's worth noting that the roles Abhumans serve, militarily, is defined by how they can be used. Less a case of needing whatever role the Abhumans fit into, and more finding a role they can fill and shunting them into it.

What makes an abhuman, as opposed to a mutant, is stability. Ogryn always reproduce Ogryn, ratlings always reproduce ratlings, ect ect. It's when a pair of humans produce something akin to an Ogryn that you've got mutation afoot.

That was in answer to pm713's question:

I don't know of any planets or roles in the Guard/Navy that are actually dependant on Abhumans. Do you have any examples?

I think comparing Crusaders to Ogryns is a bit of a stretch, personally; but even given that, the point is that, one-on-one, ogryns do their role better than unaugmented humans, and offer something to the Guard that is objectively useful.

Even conceding ogryns, there are other 'off-camera' abhumans which – presumably – excel in roles that only they can do. Pelagers, for example, are uniquely well-suited to underwater battles, something that (for perhaps obvious reasons) doesn't turn up in general tabletop battles – although now I kinda want to!

I guess my point is that because we don't have these abhumans in real life, it's hard to work out what military roles or equipment would be needed for them – but if (for example) there was an alien race that lived on a world with such high-gravity that normal humans couldn't survive, then squats or ogryns would be a way for the Imperium to attack it... which then, in rather roundabout way, makes the Imperium dependent on them.

 Tiennos wrote:
I'm sure these people could eventually be educated enough to operate and even maintain most equipment, but unless I got that wrong I got the impression that the Imperial Guard doesn't really spend much time on training the troops... Don't they just levy the best soldiers from a world and then ship them to where they're needed as fast as possible?

Planets that can provide fully trained and equipped soldiers are nice, but not every planet can do that. The IoM sometimes settles for what it can get instead of what it wants.

Besides, shipping as fast as possible can still mean many weeks or month on the ship. That's time to train the new guardsmen as well as possible with the resources and space at hand.

Developing technology is difficult. Using technology is simple.

I can’t program a computer, or engineer the components, or mine and refine the materials, or create the infrastructure needed for an Internet... but using my phone to wirelessly communicate with someone on the other side of the planet is easy... once those things are in place.

It’s not like the Imperium follows Star Trek’s Prime Directive or anything even *remotely* comparable.

chimera0205 wrote:

 ArcaneHorror wrote:
One reason why Noctureans aren't classified as abhumans is because if they were, the Salamanders would put up a major stink, and I don't think that the Imperial government would want to have to deal with that. I don't think that Squats or Ratlings have the same political clout.

What about Catachans doe? There's a good reason there commonly called "baby ogryns". There just as mutated as a squat is. Just in the opposite direction.

Everything I know about Catachans points to them not being all that mutated physically. Very muscular and tough, but not really that different from humans from less hostile worlds.

 ArcaneHorror wrote:

chimera0205 wrote:

 ArcaneHorror wrote:
One reason why Noctureans aren't classified as abhumans is because if they were, the Salamanders would put up a major stink, and I don't think that the Imperial government would want to have to deal with that. I don't think that Squats or Ratlings have the same political clout.

What about Catachans doe? There's a good reason there commonly called "baby ogryns". There just as mutated as a squat is. Just in the opposite direction.

Everything I know about Catachans points to them not being all that mutated physically. Very muscular and tough, but not really that different from humans from less hostile worlds.

Catachans arent mutated at all. They're from a world that kills everything, which (according to 40k logic at least) means the survivors are some preferable combination of smart/tough/lucky and therefore well suited for military duty in environments that kill everything.

 Tiennos wrote:

I'm sure these people could eventually be educated enough to operate and even maintain most equipment, but unless I got that wrong I got the impression that the Imperial Guard doesn't really spend much time on training the troops... Don't they just levy the best soldiers from a world and then ship them to where they're needed as fast as possible?

Depends on the warzone/sector/ author.

The Tanith First and only (Ghosts) were raised from Planetary Defence Forces, with fieldcraft and training already in place. However, in transit between warzones, they (sometimes) trained in massive laser tag arenas aboard their troopships, learning grav chute/jump pack insertion techniques and drilling urban combat scenarios. This was sometimes for a specific mission, sometimes to bring new troops up to speed, sometimes to keep troops sharp.

It might be counter productive trying to teach skills to ogryn, but uneducated low tech people should have no problem being shown what levers to push and triggers to pull. Plasmaguns and more complicated kit are explicitly for other more soliderly regiments, you won't have a tribesman being asked to monitor coil heat buildup and magnetic field resonance. They'll get grenade launchers and autocannon- be shown how to load, fire, clear jams on the way to the warzone. Strong guys will get basilisk loading duty, keen eyed archers will get basilisk ranging training.

The 'savage' regiments hint at a genre of fiction that BL won't touch: The noble, civilised man among the backward primitives. I think there's probably a reason they haven't written a Cain book where he is assigned to an all female regiment of Tangarian woad women.

 =Angel= wrote:

The 'savage' regiments hint at a genre of fiction that BL won't touch: The noble, civilised man among the backward primitives. I think there's probably a reason they haven't written a Cain book where he is assigned to an all female regiment of Tangarian woad women.

Well, TVTropes calls it "Mighty Whitey" and it goes back to the era of colonialism and casual racism, so that kind of story won't fly as easily today... Even in more recent, less racist versions of that trope where the "savages" are shown to be morally superior to the "civilized" people, it still takes a white man to lead them into battle and defend themselves (and marry the chief's daughter of course). Take Avatar or Dances with Wolves for example.

40k would be the perfect setting to have fun with that trope, though: bringing the Imperium's brand of civilization to the savages could make them more violent and superstitious than before.

 Tiennos wrote:

 =Angel= wrote:

The 'savage' regiments hint at a genre of fiction that BL won't touch: The noble, civilised man among the backward primitives. I think there's probably a reason they haven't written a Cain book where he is assigned to an all female regiment of Tangarian woad women.

Well, TVTropes calls it "Mighty Whitey" and it goes back to the era of colonialism and casual racism, so that kind of story won't fly as easily today... Even in more recent, less racist versions of that trope where the "savages" are shown to be morally superior to the "civilized" people, it still takes a white man to lead them into battle and defend themselves (and marry the chief's daughter of course). Take Avatar or Dances with Wolves for example.

40k would be the perfect setting to have fun with that trope, though: bringing the Imperium's brand of civilization to the savages could make them more violent and superstitious than before.

The civilised man being of European decent and the backwards primitives being some other branch on the family tree is only our primary historical experience. Consider African citizens of the Roman empire encountering the 'barbarians' of Germany or Ireland for rich unmined veins of theme. The irradiated, savage men of Baal appear to be caucasian (unless Sangunius' geneseed is leeching melanin out) as do several other backwards or pathetic peoples in 40k (fenrisians)
What about a civilised savage being brought in to laise with a savage people from an entirely different world? Comparing two backward cultures in the 40k universe in one story. For added fun, play up the really broad definition of Feral world, and have the planet in late Iron age, with the diplomat from an early stone age culture.



I think one of the bigger issues is that these days GW shy away from fiction that doesn't have model support and there are no current* models to support primitive undiscovered tribesmen.

*

I love the idea of a neolithic aristocrat bureaucrat!

Finely crafted polished turtleshell monacle embedded in an elaborately carved ivory frame perfectly fitting the bureaucrat's socket. The finest parker full length cloak with toggles of fine smelling exotic wood and a ceremonial monomolecular bladed knife of obsidian slate engraved with stories of how agents of the emperor came down to bless his family with a contract of office.

Contrast that with a filthy, muddy man at arms in cheap, low quality iron age gear made from whatever local materials are to hand.

The Rogue Trader RPG mentions how the Adeptus Terra likes to recruit from feudal worlds because the inhabitants are far more adaptable and capable of problem solving, as inhabitants of more 'advanced' worlds seldom have to do any thinking what-so-ever and independent thought is actively discouraged.