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We know that the Big E was formed by thousands of shamans getting together back on Terra.

They formed a suicide pact spell thing, and all died. They did this because they were having difficulties not getting eaten by daemons in the Warp when they died.

A while later their collective psyche was reborn as the Emperor.

So my question is, what about this process seems as though it can't be recreated? Sixth edition has the Emperor requiring 4000 souls a day to keep the astronomicon lit, so its not like there is a shortage of psykers.

The usual 'lost knowledge' angle doesn't make sense here either, the Emperor was born 8000BC, ages before any technology existed.

So why can't a million psykers in 40k just do the same thing the Shamans did and make a new, far stronger Emperor?

I've always had the impression those shamans were far different/superior to most psykers you see today, and even then I doubt anyone would know how to do the same ritual.

Also, because it's heresy.

The whole event is semi-mythical and humanity hasn't had a replacement for that kind of psychic power.

Also, because it's heresy. To your average Imperial the Emperor still lives and is still ruling the Imperium.

 Harriticus wrote:
The whole event is semi-mythical and humanity hasn't had a replacement for that kind of psychic power.

Also, because it's heresy. To your average Imperial the Emperor still lives and is still ruling the Imperium.

Its only heresy if they get caught before it happens. It could be staged as the return of the Emperor. If a new one managed to get born, he could take over the duties of the the old E, and that carcass could be thrown in a ditch somewhere.

I understand that Shamans were more powerful than normal psykers are in 40k, but the Imperium ships over a million of them a year to Terra to feed the Emperor. They could be gathered together, do the whole suicide pact thing and come back.

And to the average imperial or inquisitor... Just how did they know this? You have a gods perspective (and some fluff were presented may be half truths anyway). They do not. They likely have no idea how and when the birth of the enperor came to pass.

So if your neigbour said to you,
'Iv a great idea, let's have all the cops, paramedics and firefighters in our city commit mass suicide and bring about the 2nd coming of jesus christ' how much credability would you give the proposal?

That is why.

 Eetion wrote:
And to the average imperial or inquisitor... Just how did they know this? You have a gods perspective (and some fluff were presented may be half truths anyway). They do not. They likely have no idea how and when the birth of the enperor came to pass.

So if your neigbour said to you,
'Iv a great idea, let's have all the cops, paramedics and firefighters in our city commit mass suicide and bring about the 2nd coming of jesus christ' how much credability would you give the proposal?

That is why.

Yes this is important. Only the Emperor himself knows about his creation or even the specifics of the Heresy for that matter. Your most well-versed Ordo Malleus Inquisitor would still know far less then your average dakka poster.

If the 'Star Child" mythology is accurate rthen there is the possibility of mankind gaining a new Emperor but I don't see it occuring as a result of any concious action by the higher ups in the Imperium hierarchy.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the fact that it involved every ounce of psychic potential available to the human race at the time means it's kind of difficult to repeat...

The Starchild mythos hasn't been canon since 2nd edition, you know...

I don't think they can do it anymore. I can't recall any other pysker who could die and then come back like the shamans did. That might just have been their thing. Also they reason they did the suicide thing was because the warp was getting to dangerous for them and it has just gotten more and more dangerous. It might be impossible to repeat.

I have read on this thread about a new Emperor but if it was the same shamans that reincarnated the first time would they not become the same Emperor as before?

Well even if it was possible to remake the Emperor would the Dark Gods allow it? I would think they would Send all they had against the new Emperor.

Beacuse to do so is heresy.
Also, if a new (and supposedly better) Emperor were created, then they wouldn't have the allegiance of the Space Marines. I can see that should a new Emperor arise one of two thing (or Both) would happen.
A. Space Marines would deny the new Emperor, being that the gene-seed in all Astartes derives from the genetic material of the (old) Emperor. It is conceivable that they would not accept their new father.
B. Say the new Emperor (a more powerful Emperor as is suggested in earlier posts) was crowned and a new wave of Astartes derived from the genetic material of the new Emperor, alienating those of the old gene-seed stock.
Either way, the Imperium would tear itself apart in a new civial war and mark the death of Mankind.

If he does reincarnate he has to do it in the warp right?

Also in the warp time passes at different speeds or not at all (ships arriving a 100 years late and all that)

so what could be a second could stretch far longer. que kick ass fight scene as the Emp reforms in the warp before reincarnating and the 4 with their minions attack...epic

Another Emperor?



It would be unlikely anyway, any fluff regarding a reborn Emperor was retconned if I recall (the 'Sensei' plotline). A new Emperor is stopped from coming into being by a force more powerful than anything else in the 40k Universe.

GW's refusal to move the story forward.