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Setting some ground points; an Imperial ship can cross the entirety of our galaxy, which is 100,000 Ly, in 1-2 years. Warp current/storm depending of course but according to multiple places I've looked at, that's generally the average. If they extend beyond the range of the astronomicon, the speed drops because they have to make smaller jumps with course corrections.

Now, the reason, as Lexicanum states, why the Imperium hasn't tried to go to another galaxy is and I quote, "The distances between galaxies are so vast as to make inter-galactic travel unfeasible"...... yet obviously no one actually picked up a book or looked online because the nearest major galaxy (andromeda) is only 2.5 million LY away.... so only 25 times the length of our galaxy.

Even if an imperial ship was going 1/2 its normal speed it would get there in 50-100 years. Hell, even Humans in the 40k Universe could do that trip with rejuvenation treatments, let alone space marines. Let's say the Imperial Ships only go 1/10th their normal speed, that's still 250-500 years... easily within the capability of Space Marines or humans stored in cryogenic pods (the technology exists as shown with Eversors).



Why doesn't the Imperium send an expedition fleet to check it out?
Worst case scenario - Galaxy filled with gribblies and the expedition fleet gets destroyed. No big loss to the Imperium.
Best case scenario - Galaxy filled with verdant worlds and rich quantities of raw materials and it's ripe for colonization and construction, without the threat and pressure of constant war. Then the Imperium could use that galaxy to build up forces and send them over to help our Milky Way. Potentially infinite gain for the Imperium.

What do you think? Thoughts, opinions, anything.

The Adeptus Mechanicus once set a probe outside the Milky Way.


All it found were Ork signals surrounding the Milky Way. Which isn't that surprising- it's quite possible Orks have infested the entire Local Group over the past sixty million years.

The problem is the likes of the Halo Zone and the Goul Stars.

The light of the Astronomican, mighty as it is, simply cannot reach further then the areas of the Milky Way known to humanity of the Imperium, and as such there is no reliable way of navigating in the Warp beyond the galactic fringe. The Mechanicum was desperate enough to try something like this during the Long Night, and it's all they could do to join the Imperium during the Great Crusade and try finding those Mechanicum colonies that hasn't been destroyed yet, after the warp had calmed down a bit. They could not communicate because there was no reliable way of sending telepathic messages, nor it is even possible to establish a route due to the increasingly unreliability of the Warp, the lack of a reference point whose role was later fulfilled by the light of the Astronomican was also an issue.

To go beyond the galactic fringe is to lose the guidance of the only reference point in the Warp known to men. Thereby making establishing a colony outside of the Milky Way pointless: after all, what use is a second base when said base cannot hear from you or reach you when you need them?

 lcmiracle wrote:
The problem is the likes of the Halo Zone and the Goul Stars.

The light of the Astronomican, mighty as it is, simply cannot reach further then the areas of the Milky Way known to humanity of the Imperium, and as such there is no reliable way of navigating in the Warp beyond the galaxy fringe. The Mechanicum was desparate enough to try something like this during the Long Night, and it's all they can do to join the Imperium and try finding those Mechanicum colonies that hasn't been destroyed yet during the Great Crusade, after the warp had calmed down a bit. They could not communicate because there was no reliable way of sending telepathic messages, nor it is even possible to establish a route due to the increasingly unreliability of the Warp, the lack of a reference point whose role was later fulfilled by the Astronomican was also an issue.

To go beyond the galaxy fringe is to lose the guidance of the only reference point in the Warp known to men. Thereby making establishing a colony outside of the Milky Way pointless: after all, what use is a second base when said base cannot reach you when you need them?

I'm pretty sure this is the exact reason. Unfortunately, warp travel without the Astronomican is essentially like rolling in glass fragments then jumping into a shark tank and hoping said sharks aren't paying attention to you. You might get lucky, but more often than not you just plain aren't gonna make it.

Plus the Astronomican is actually weakening, so even the formerly secure galactic assets at the edge of the galaxy are becoming increasingly more difficult to reach, let alone whatever lies beyond it.

Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

 lcmiracle wrote:
Thereby making establishing a colony outside of the Milky Way pointless: after all, what use is a second base when said base cannot hear from you or reach you when you need them?

I can go with any silly explanation about the Astronomican, but that thing you added is just silly. An expansion to the stars is expansion for the sake of expansion. Your species spreads to new zones. They don't have to have contact with the people of your race on other planets, not to mention other star systems, not to mention other galaxies. Because time passes at different speeds all over the whole 'communication' aspect seems unfeasible. You visit your friend in another star system only to find that 500 standard years have passed there and your friends are long dead. Even ignoring all that, considering the 40K Milky Way is full of terrors and dangers and mankind has already expanded all over for no apparent reason other than to crusade to the stars, it's not far fetched to ask why mankind hasn't expanded to Andromeda in the 40K universe just for expansion's sake. The grass is always greener on the other side, and so on. Finally, you can continue to wonder why Eldar haven't done it since they aren't exactly safe here and could build their empire anew somewhere else, or Necrons, or whoever with the technology available to them.

Of course, the answer to the fact is that the 40K canon is old and the people who wrote it aren't scientists. It's easier to keep things simple.

The Imperium don't exactly have a great handle on the one Galaxy, let alone exploring others...

I only see this as a Noah's Ark project... which might happen soon. Abandon the Milky way galaxy and hope to find a safer and better one. Perhaps there are already human who have tried that and already have it's own small empire there in the other galaxy.

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

The warp has always existed. It wasn't always full of 'daemons' or 'gods'. It's just full of energy that takes forms because of the emotions of psychic beings in the material universe.

 ImAGeek wrote:
The Imperium don't exactly have a great handle on the one Galaxy, let alone exploring others...

This too. If the Great Crusade had finished successfully, I don't doubt that the Emperor would have looked into travelling to other galaxies at some point. As it stands now though, its a little too far-reaching.

In a utilitarian sort of society beset on all sides by war, it's probably very low on their priority list. Traveling x miles to find a prosperous world is one thing, traveling 25x miles is quite another. Add in the distance from the Astronomican and it seems like quite a challenge.

There might have been such projects back when humanity first expanded into the stars. I'm sure this persecuted group or the other thought it a great idea to try reaching another galaxy where they'd be free of the guys that said their religion, race, society etc was wrong. Maybe that's where all the black people went?

In the 40K setting some forward-thinking High Lord could perhaps start a project, but he'll have to convince others that it's worth putting resources on. Making sure humanity doesn't die if this galaxy falls isn't a bad point... But whatever happens we'll never know if they got there.

 Therion wrote:

 lcmiracle wrote:
Thereby making establishing a colony outside of the Milky Way pointless: after all, what use is a second base when said base cannot hear from you or reach you when you need them?

I can go with any silly explanation about the Astronomican, but that thing you added is just silly. An expansion to the stars is expansion for the sake of expansion. Your species spreads to new zones. They don't have to have contact with the people of your race on other planets, not to mention other star systems, not to mention other galaxies. Because time passes at different speeds all over the whole 'communication' aspect seems unfeasible. You visit your friend in another star system only to find that 500 standard years have passed there and your friends are long dead. Even ignoring all that, considering the 40K Milky Way is full of terrors and dangers and mankind has already expanded all over for no apparent reason other than to crusade to the stars, it's not far fetched to ask why mankind hasn't expanded to Andromeda in the 40K universe just for expansion's sake. The grass is always greener on the other side, and so on. Finally, you can continue to wonder why Eldar haven't done it since they aren't exactly safe here and could build their empire anew somewhere else, or Necrons, or whoever with the technology available to them.

Of course, the answer to the fact is that the 40K canon is old and the people who wrote it aren't scientists. It's easier to keep things simple.

The Galatic Fringe had always been the impassable barrier in the 40K lore. For the Imperium it's simply a project impossible to execute -- they are not expansionists any more, and no navigator would go beyond the light of Astronomican.

You seem to believe that the Imperium has the luxury of looking to outside of the window and think: "Gee, maybe today I will march 10,000 miles to the other side of the mountain, and watch the flowers bloom", but the problem is the mountain itself is near-impenetrable. Macharius tried to do to the Halo Zone once and his entire force crumbled because no one would go where no man has gone before™, simply because how impenetrable the zone is, and how perilous those places are. It's no a matter of simply climbing a mountain, it's a matter having to climb the steepest, highest the mountain side in the entire known universe, with bare hands, and blind-folded. It cannot be done without the greatest luck, and such a task is no something a regressive, ultra-conservative Imperium would do while almost constantly being besieged on all fronts.

And yes, the 40K writers are not scientists, heke they are not even sci-fi writers. But to dismiss that to be "illogical" (note that logic is simply a way of deriving a conclusion from premises and claims, it itself doesn't have to be true nor real) is just ignorant. When the writers clearly made it so the milky way is like a locked-cage for most of the races with good premises, premises that logically lead to the inescapable fates of these factions/races (except the Necrons and the Nids, and to some extend, the Greenskins as well).

As for why the Eldar doesn't try going out, the answer is they can't; at least none we know of can. Their webway network shrunk during the War in Heaven and the Fall, countless passageway breached by the warp, and daemonic fiends roam the Webway. None, save maybe the Harlequins know the entirety of the Webway, let alone find a way out of the Milky Way. Furthermore we do not even know if the Webway have connections to outside of the Milky Way, or if such passageways, if existed, had already been destroyed.

 Therion wrote:

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

The warp has always existed. It wasn't always full of 'daemons' or 'gods'. It's just full of energy that takes forms because of the emotions of psychic beings in the material universe.

Referring to the warp as a physical construct and limiting its size is a moot point. The warp, as was said, is present anywhere sentient life is. Therefore, if you were to take an expedition fleet beyond known boundaries of the Imperium, the warp would go with you. There's no telling where you might end up and wherever you did wouldn't be an extension of the existing warp, per se, just another physical place where the warp has been accessed.

 Shidank wrote:

 Therion wrote:

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

The warp has always existed. It wasn't always full of 'daemons' or 'gods'. It's just full of energy that takes forms because of the emotions of psychic beings in the material universe.

Referring to the warp as a physical construct and limiting its size is a moot point. The warp, as was said, is present anywhere sentient life is. Therefore, if you were to take an expedition fleet beyond known boundaries of the Imperium, the warp would go with you. There's no telling where you might end up and wherever you did wouldn't be an extension of the existing warp, per se, just another physical place where the warp has been accessed.

But how do we know that? How do we know that each galaxy hasn't formed its own unique warp? Surely the fact that all of the Chaos Gods/daemons of the warp that we know of were formed by races/emotions originating from this galaxy implies that the warp is specific to this galaxy. So does each galaxy have a localized, unique warp that reflects its own inhabitants? Or is our galaxy unique in that it even has a warp?

I think that is probably the deepest thought I have ever had relating to 40k.

 Orblivion wrote:


But how do we know that? How do we know that each galaxy hasn't formed its own unique warp? Surely the fact that all of the Chaos Gods/daemons of the warp that we know of were formed by races/emotions originating from this galaxy would mean that the warp is specific to this galaxy. So does each galaxy have a localized, unique warp that reflects its own inhabitants?

I think that is probably the deepest thought I have ever had relating to 40k.

You're so deep, I can't even see you anymore. It's entirely possible that we're both correct and if a sentient life form from our galaxy were to cross the inky black into another, it would create an overlap that interrupts communications and travel near wherever we emerged. This "shadow" would probably be proportionate to the number of sentient beings from our galaxy were present.

Wait a minute...

 Orblivion wrote:

 Shidank wrote:

 Therion wrote:

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

The warp has always existed. It wasn't always full of 'daemons' or 'gods'. It's just full of energy that takes forms because of the emotions of psychic beings in the material universe.

Referring to the warp as a physical construct and limiting its size is a moot point. The warp, as was said, is present anywhere sentient life is. Therefore, if you were to take an expedition fleet beyond known boundaries of the Imperium, the warp would go with you. There's no telling where you might end up and wherever you did wouldn't be an extension of the existing warp, per se, just another physical place where the warp has been accessed.

But how do we know that? How do we know that each galaxy hasn't formed its own unique warp? Surely the fact that all of the Chaos Gods/daemons of the warp that we know of were formed by races/emotions originating from this galaxy implies that the warp is specific to this galaxy. So does each galaxy have a localized, unique warp that reflects its own inhabitants? Or is our galaxy unique in that it even has a warp?

I think that is probably the deepest thought I have ever had relating to 40k.

Would you stake your life on that proposition? Or would you risk your life and crew only to end up stranded in the void between galaxies?

So, we just solved the mystery of the shadow in the warp from the Tyranid.

I don't care if we can't prove it, I'm proud of us.

 Shidank wrote:
So, we just solved the mystery of the shadow in the warp from the Tyranid.

I don't care if we can't prove it, I'm proud of us.

Ha, awesome. One more reason to hate the Tyranids, they brought their own Warp with them.

 Orblivion wrote:

 Shidank wrote:
So, we just solved the mystery of the shadow in the warp from the Tyranid.

I don't care if we can't prove it, I'm proud of us.

Ha, awesome. One more reason to hate the Tyranids, they brought their own Warp with them.

I joke, but this is entirely feasible by your own theory and mine. It's possible that they occupy the same plane of un-space and incompatibilities block one off to such a degree that we would normally consider it another Chaos God. The saving grace is that it's Tyranid...and they really don't have maniacal plans, just....dinner plans.

 Shidank wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:


But how do we know that? How do we know that each galaxy hasn't formed its own unique warp? Surely the fact that all of the Chaos Gods/daemons of the warp that we know of were formed by races/emotions originating from this galaxy would mean that the warp is specific to this galaxy. So does each galaxy have a localized, unique warp that reflects its own inhabitants?

I think that is probably the deepest thought I have ever had relating to 40k.

You're so deep, I can't even see you anymore. It's entirely possible that we're both correct and if a sentient life form from our galaxy were to cross the inky black into another, it would create an overlap that interrupts communications and travel near wherever we emerged. This "shadow" would probably be proportionate to the number of sentient beings from our galaxy were present.

Wait a minute...

Now I am all for putting every human and Space Marines in stasis or hibernation, loaded on countless Imperial ships, and instead of use the Warp because all these ships would get lost, and the Navigators would probably die of old age before even getting across the inter-galatic void, we launch all the ships to a random point beyond the milky-way, and have servitors and whatever that can maintain them manage the ships so they don't run into a star or a black hole. Just so if they managed to hit a world in another galaxy the humans can become the new great devourer.

It is believed that the Tyranids have devoured at least 12 other galaxies before arriving at this one. It is plausible to think that these 12 others are those closest to the Milky Way. Thus, even if they were to go there, Mankind would find nothing but barren, lifeless rocks.

 lcmiracle wrote:


Now I am all for putting every human and Space Marines in stasis or hibernation, loaded on countless Imperial ships, and instead of use the Warp because all these ships would get lost, and the Navigators would probably die of old age before even getting across the inter-galatic void, we launch all the ships to a random point beyond the milky-way, and have servitors and whatever that can maintain them manage the ships so they don't run into a star or a black hole. Just so if they managed to hit a world in another galaxy the humans can become the new great devourer.

This may be what the Silent King meant when he said mankind was the shield against the Tyranid.

If the Tyranid have consumed and occupied 12 galaxies and their presence in the immaterium is vast enough to reflect that, they could be a stone's throw away from manifesting as a new blend of proto-daemon, or even a gestalt new chaos god.

 Shidank wrote:

 lcmiracle wrote:


Now I am all for putting every human and Space Marines in stasis or hibernation, loaded on countless Imperial ships, and instead of use the Warp because all these ships would get lost, and the Navigators would probably die of old age before even getting across the inter-galatic void, we launch all the ships to a random point beyond the milky-way, and have servitors and whatever that can maintain them manage the ships so they don't run into a star or a black hole. Just so if they managed to hit a world in another galaxy the humans can become the new great devourer.

This may be what the Silent King meant when he said mankind was the shield against the Tyranid.

If the Tyranid have consumed and occupied 12 galaxies and their presence in the immaterium is vast enough to reflect that, they could be a stone's throw away from manifesting as a new blend of proto-daemon, or even a gestalt new chaos god.

You could even say that the reason people like Tigurius and now Mephiston have finally been able to interact with the Hive Mind at all is because it is slowly being influenced by the sentient beings of this galaxy. It is being converted into our galaxy's version of the Warp, and is reaching a point where it can be better perceived.

 Orblivion wrote:

 Shidank wrote:

 lcmiracle wrote:


Now I am all for putting every human and Space Marines in stasis or hibernation, loaded on countless Imperial ships, and instead of use the Warp because all these ships would get lost, and the Navigators would probably die of old age before even getting across the inter-galatic void, we launch all the ships to a random point beyond the milky-way, and have servitors and whatever that can maintain them manage the ships so they don't run into a star or a black hole. Just so if they managed to hit a world in another galaxy the humans can become the new great devourer.

This may be what the Silent King meant when he said mankind was the shield against the Tyranid.

If the Tyranid have consumed and occupied 12 galaxies and their presence in the immaterium is vast enough to reflect that, they could be a stone's throw away from manifesting as a new blend of proto-daemon, or even a gestalt new chaos god.

You could even say that the reason people like Tigurius and now Mephiston have finally been able to interact with the Hive Mind at all is because it is slowly being influenced by the sentient beings of this galaxy. It is being converted into our galaxy's version of the Warp, and is reaching a point where it can be better perceived.

Assimilating so much life from our galaxy could explain this.

Why is no one else excited about this??

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

Actually, that's just Chaos, the Warp itself is a whole other dimension, with the spaces between Galaxies probably fairly peaceful and full of Order.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Orblivion wrote:

 Shidank wrote:

 Therion wrote:

 Squidmanlolz wrote:

 Orblivion wrote:
Are we even sure the warp extends beyond the limits of our own galaxy?

The warp is dependent on sentient life and cannot exist in the areas between galaxies.

The warp has always existed. It wasn't always full of 'daemons' or 'gods'. It's just full of energy that takes forms because of the emotions of psychic beings in the material universe.

Referring to the warp as a physical construct and limiting its size is a moot point. The warp, as was said, is present anywhere sentient life is. Therefore, if you were to take an expedition fleet beyond known boundaries of the Imperium, the warp would go with you. There's no telling where you might end up and wherever you did wouldn't be an extension of the existing warp, per se, just another physical place where the warp has been accessed.

But how do we know that? How do we know that each galaxy hasn't formed its own unique warp? Surely the fact that all of the Chaos Gods/daemons of the warp that we know of were formed by races/emotions originating from this galaxy implies that the warp is specific to this galaxy. So does each galaxy have a localized, unique warp that reflects its own inhabitants? Or is our galaxy unique in that it even has a warp?

I think that is probably the deepest thought I have ever had relating to 40k.

The Warp is an entire dimension, logic would dictate that the Milky Way's local Warp Gods would not have dominion over another galaxy's local Warp, due to originating here and thriving here


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Psienesis wrote:
It is believed that the Tyranids have devoured at least 12 other galaxies before arriving at this one. It is plausible to think that these 12 others are those closest to the Milky Way. Thus, even if they were to go there, Mankind would find nothing but barren, lifeless rocks.

But the Mechanicum detected Orkoid life in all of the surrounding galaxies, so perhaps the Tyraniss have devoured ONE of the surrounding galaxies and twelve others that form a kind of chain of dead galaxies, and we're next in line.

What the Mechanicum did was launch a probe beyond the galactic rim, and found only Ork communication signals. Whether these Orks have actually colonized extra-galactic worlds or not is unknown, since Orks bring their own ecology with them, and can live on asteroids.

Speaking of, you know, science, wouldn't any signals they picked up have traveled outside of galaxies and be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years old?

Only if they're actually from another galaxy and not from an Ork Rok drifting around in the void beyond the galactic rim.