To be with humanity is The Emperor of Mankind’s greatest gift, psychically seeing the immortal archetypes of human. An absence of this connection with his character, which is rooted in the essence of humanity causes heresy.
It is a grandiose notion, but makes sense, especially considering that Warhammer is intentionally a salvage and culmination of many fantasy and science tropes, concepts and ideas. While distorted and speculative, it is also rooted in theology, politics and history. The Popes, Patriarchs, Friars and Bishops of Christianity utilised this rule when attempting to layer humility, religiosity and spirituality to their lives, and implied a lack of these things to those who shunned or opposed them. We see the same principle with real life Emperors which inspired The Emperor’s writing and in-universe; Charlemagne’s rule of unity, Napoleon’s rewriting of the legal code, Henry II’s conquest and impact upon England and Europe while he held the Angevin Empire.
In the culmination of the Siege of Terra, the last ‘normal’ moments of the powerful but mortal Emperor, this is exposed in his final duel with the Luciferian prodigal son Horus. The Emperor in the metaphysical realm called The Warp shifts his form. An old Hermit bitten by life, The Emperor commanding from his throne. Even gender becomes somewhat mutable in some of the projections made, even his anthropomorphic form. Because the eagle, the aquila, these things are identified in the world of symbology as representing desirable, immutable Platonic Forms. And The Emperor uses the nature of humanity’s stories, of symbols which inspire to give a strength when fighting demons of malignant thought and corruption.
Simple perhaps, but that is the heart of The Emperor’s tragedy and his power. And he knows it enough to show his custodian Ra Endymion (also named to invoke and inspire parallels to history and religion) excepts of his own life in a similar manner. Chaos Gods and Abaddon knew enough to emulate the method, the former likely corrupting and using the process with the irony known to greatly amuse them, and Abaddon perhaps as part of his own introspective nature and from staring into the Astronomican enough to bleach his eyes and change his temperament. It’s a literal act, but also a romanticisation of how study into symbology makes one powerful; because one immersed in what moves history becomes mindful and inspired.
It makes sense, and was never about the weapons or the numbers or the magic present in such ludicrous amounts within this extreme setting. Not about guns, or swords, or starships. In the grim darkness, what is more illuminating, more a cause for devotion than feeling understood, for a being to see and contemplate a perfect depiction of a formative moment and care when the universe doesn’t? Empathy is the greatest tool for unity and weapon for mankind, a twisted lesson for a twisted world.
How many times have we been courted online, by the exact same vacuous and transparent phishing scams, or the multimillion-pound projects created for the same purpose; to take our clicks, and thus money, and thus our most precious commodity of time? Every time we dress, communicate, exhibit a strength or humour we do not feel, each individual exudes a kind of glamour for another, mostly benign or for self-preservation.
We sanctify generosity as holy, as acts of extreme sacrifice, while possible to perform for us all, are perhaps not so often taken (or seen). We elevate people into benign figures, into flags, posters and banners and make their hair, beards, speeches as representing the hope for humanity. The symbology, not vanity is coded to bring hope and obedience.
The more one looks into the history of Kings and Queens, it becomes very evident that their nature as people is never truly considered. How can it be? The archon of a state or people, whether symbolically, constitutionally, or as part of an oligarchy never the less allows an ability to transcend law as a citizen would understand it in many ways. Consider warfare or reform; for whatever purpose, making warfare against another group, or creating a new law with the intent to override precedent and some form of opposition is widely accepted unless the ruler is incompetent or tyrannical.
It is our nature with celebrities, the feeble shadows of what we once called royalty to excuse their crimes, varnish them with language even as they cover themselves with branding, or part of their entourage to deal with their widening influence and organisations.
The concept of a ‘glamour’ is literal with the Master of Mankind; but also as we see in Valdor: Birth of the Imperium, it is a common political apparatus as part of cyclical history. Where power condenses around a single individual, in someone wishing to affect great change within groups of social animals, a form of glamour to affect our perception is inevitable. While perhaps a garish word now, glamour is very much an acknowledged thing in our word now, as a byword for come kind of consumerism or wealth that crudely creates a dazzling impression.
The Emperor’s power is fascinating to see, but in an antagonistic and grim future, it stands as a testament to human torment, struggle, and innovation against inevitability. In spite of it. And it is perhaps fortunate that while we stand, while we recognise awe and ideas; that we are not lost yet and every evil can be met with defiance in hand.
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