Imperium Quotes

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Imperium Portal

Attributed

Imperial Texts

Tome	Quote	Source
Runic Spaceflight - An Introduction: Naval Flight Manual W110E	Should a machine not function upon striking the panel marked "on" this is an omen of great ill. The reasons ascribed may be as follows. Firstly, the function of inadequate preparation on the part of the operator. Secondly, the action of the machine whose spirit may refuse the binding of the operator. Thirdly, the malintent of some third party upon the operator or machine. The operator must repeat the ritual from the beginning re-purifying himself, enscribing the runes, intoning the incantations, and striking the panel marked 'on'. An accompanying oath may be made. Should this procedure fail, the operator must recourse to consulting the instruction manual.	Book of the Astronomican, p. 18
Training questions, Administration Cant and Dogma	Question: What has the Emperor ever done for me? Answer: What have you ever done for the Emperor?	Book of the Astronomican, p. 67
Statement of fact, Second Book of Chantings	There is only the Emperor, and he is our Shield and Protector.	Book of the Astronomican, p. 78
Inspirational Verse, Imperial Hymnal Vol. IV	Hate! Hate! Hate! An emotion as pure as it is deep! Hate! Hate! Hate! Let it flow, let it run free!	Book of the Astronomican, p. 101
Parables	You gaze at the mountain, Children of Terra, you see its snow-capped peak and the clouds upon its slopes. You dream of reaching that pinnacle and drinking the cold waters. But who dreams of the road that ascends the mountain side? The road to the peak is hard and murderous. It has broken countless Children of Terra upon its rocks. Their splintered bones lie scattered upon it, paving the way to the mountain top. At every step you will hear the bones crumbling under foot, and maybe you shall hear the wind-blown voices of the dead - guiding you forward or leading you to your doom. Yes, my children, the way to the mountain is cruel and unforgiving. And of those who struggle their long lives, spending their energy and vigour in the climb, who then can taste the melt-water of the summit and say, 'Yes... yes it was worthwhile?'	Book of the Astronomican, p. 84
Firing rite (old recension)	With the blood of an enemy shall the marks be made upon the missile. Then bless the missile and present unto the mounting. Say the prayer of firing and curse the target. Do this rapidly lest the wrath of the weapon be wasted. Point the eye of the weapon so that it may see the object of its wrath. When the weapon has uttered its curse and eaten the soul of its victim, then shall you take up the next missile...	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 131
Litany of the Adeptus	How can a man be happy if he cannot serve his lord with his whole heart?	[Needs Citation]
Codex Administratum	Every servant has his place, no matter how lowly or modest. To know it is his greatest comfort, to excel within it is his greatest solace, and his master's contentment is his greatest reward.	[Needs Citation]
The Credo of the Astronomican	Our thoughts light the Darkness that others may cross space. We are one with the Emperor, our souls are joined in his will. Praise the Emperor whose sacrifice is life as ours is death. Hail his name the Master of Humanity. -extract	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 37
Chiramthanus Inscription	You pride yourselves on your power, your Imperium of a million worlds. But heed my words, for we have roamed this galaxy much longer than you. You are callow infants. The Tyranids have spent millennia crossing the great expanses between galaxies; the Slann, before they departed, faced Chaos when the Eldar were young; the Necron have defied extinction and are awakening. Savour your victory here; it will be cold comfort when your time comes. -found carved into the ruins of the Great Chiramthanus Library	[Needs Citation]
Codex Imperialis	My will be done -page 1	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 129
First Book of Indoctrination	To be Unclean - That is the mark of the Mutant To be Impure - That is the mark of the Mutant To be Abhorred - That is the mark of the Mutant To be Reviled - That is the mark of the Mutant To be Hunted -That is the mark of the Mutant To be Purged - That is the fate of the Mutant To be Cleansed - For that is the fate of all Mutants -Extract from a Training Chant	[Needs Citation]
Scriptorus Munificantus	There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush. -(also attributed to Lord Solar Macharius	[Needs Citation]

B

Speaker	Quote	Source
Cardinal Morius Blate, Ecclesiarch Primus	The Imperium! How mighty its aspect! How far-reaching its boundaries! As one world dies ten more are brought into the fold. Fear us, for we count the lives of planets, not men!	Apocalypse, p. 21
Mordin Barr	A fortress is a living thing: the commander its brain, the walls its bones, the sensors its eyes and ears, the troops its blood, their weapons its fists. This tells us two things: If one organ fails, the whole dies. And if the whole dies, no single organ can survive alone. - attributed	Warhammer Siege, p. 91
Helem Boesch	Contact with alien races always renews one's faith in humanity. It is my belief that foreign travel narrows the mind wonderfully. -attributed	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 41

C

Speaker	Quote	Source
Lord Governor Charleston	You will shoot your enemy once, to ensure he fights no more that day! You will shoot traitors twice, to ensure nothing less than their deserved death! -during the defence of his home estate from a Traitor Guard Uprising	[Needs Citation]
Lord Corvis of Petrax	If all else fails: duck. As a defensive stratagem it's unreliable, but incredibly reassuring for a moment or two.	Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition Rulebook, pg. 21
The Credo of the Astronomican, tome	Our thoughts light the Darkness that others may cross space. We are one with Emperor our souls are joined at his will. Praise the Emperor whose sacrifice is life as our is death. Hail his name the Master of Humanity. -extract	White Dwarf 93 (UK), pg. 37, "Warhammer 40'000"

D

Speaker	Quote	Source
Eyor Dedonki	If you don't expect gratitude you'll seldom be disappointed. -"Memoirs of a Pessimist," 479.M41	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Chapter Four, p. 539
Fleet Commissar Drussos	Victory? What use is victory? Let me have a battle of annihilation.	[Needs Citation]

E

Speaker	Quote	Source
The Emperor of Mankind	The universe has many horrors yet to throw at us. This is not the end of our struggle. This is just the beginning of our crusade to save Humanity. Be faithful! Be strong! Be vigilant!	Collected Visions, p. 367
	No world shall be beyond my rule; no enemy shall be beyond my wrath.	[Needs Citation]

F

Speaker	Quote	Source
First Book of Indocrinations	To be Unclean This is the mark of the Mutant To be Impure This is the mark of the Mutant To be Abhorred This is the mark of the Mutant To be Reviled This is the mark of the Mutant To be Hunted This is the mark of the Mutant To be Purged This is the mark of the Mutant To be Cleansed This is the mark of the Mutants - extract from a Training Chant	White Dwarf 93 (UK), pg. 39
Tollen Ferlang, Imperial Envoy to the Realm of Ultramar, 564-603 M41	It’s often remarked that diplomacy is just warfare by other means. Our battles are no less desperate for being bloodless, but at least we get wine and finger food.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 4, p. 83

G

Speaker	Quote	Source
Abdul Goldberg, Rogue Trader	Never take a gamble you’re not prepared to lose.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 14, p. 225
Commander Ashton Grimes	Give me a squad of marines first. But second, give me army troops and a solid wall.	Warhammer Siege, p. 113

H

Speaker	Quote	Source
Warmaster Horus	The warp is a vital tool to us, a means of communication and transport. Without it, there would be no Imperium of Man, for there would be no quick bridges between the stars. We use it, and we harness it, but we have no absolute control over it. It is a wild thing that tolerates our presence, but brooks no mastery. There is power in the warp, fundamental power, not good, nor evil, but elemental and anathema to us. It is a tool we use at our own risk.	Horus Rising (Novel) by Dan Abnett, Part One, Chapter 10, p. 198

I

Speaker	Quote	Source
Ranek Icewalker, Wolf Priest of the Space Wolves	Earth is the hub of the Imperium. It's the centre of government, the setting of mankind's greatest temples, the home of our wealthiest and most powerful merchant houses. And the most corrupt.... where there is government and where there is money, there is corruption. And there is no place in this universe that has more government and more money than Old Earth.	Wolfblade (Novel) by William King, Chapter Two

K

Speaker	Quote	Source
Imperial Commander Ryland Kline	You ask me how, for example, I would deal with a fortress. What can I say? Blast it? Burn it? Gas it? The list is endless. But the military man should never raise such questions. From the moment he enters the Chapter he is taught to deal with practicalities. What is the objective - capture or destroy? What troops do I have - Space Marines or native planet regulars? How are they equipped? What is known of the defenders? And so on. A military man avoids open questions, and resists himself to facts. This is a crucial difference; a question requires an answer, a set of facts has only a result. An answer raises further questions, but a result is indisputable. - Archive Memoirs	Warhammer Siege, p. 93
Inquisitor Kryptman	One cannot consider the fate of a single man, nor ten, nor a thousand. Billions will live or die by our actions here, and we have not the luxury to count the cost.	Apocalypse, p. 12

L

Speaker	Quote	Source
Prefect Xavier Lanate	An empty mind is like unto a freshly turned sod; if not sown with the seeds of love, duty and honour, the insidious weeds of heresy will take root. -from his essay "Heresy and Faith: an Introspection	[Needs Citation]

O

Speaker	Quote	Source
Osric the Loopy, Governor of Corania	Revenge is a dish best served with mayonnaise and those little cheesy things on sticks. -appointed 756.M41, removed from office by the Officio Assassinorum 764.M41)	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 21, p. 753

P

Speaker	Quote	Source
Kolton Phae	If your battle plan's working, it's probably a trap. -"On Military Matters," 739.M41	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 13, p. 649

Q

Speaker	Quote	Source
Gilbran Quail, Collected Essays	The past is always with us.	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 19, p. 735
	If you go looking for trouble, you're sure to find it.	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 17, p. 705
	Life’s so much easier when you’ve got someone to blame.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 16, p. 257
	The gratitude of the powerful is a heavy weight to bear.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 7, p. 123
	Old friends are like debt collectors; they have a tendency to turn up when you least expect them.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 3, p. 65
	One thing you can say for enemies; they make life more interesting.	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 2, p. 513
	Paranoia is a very comforting state of mind. If you think they're out to get you, it means you think you matter.	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 6, p. 563

R

Speaker	Quote	Source
Lord Admiral Zaccarius Rath	Attention all vessels, this is Lord Admiral Rath. It is clear to me that we cannot win this fight by utilising conventional weapons of warfare. I order you all to disengage and withdraw. The Dominus Astra shall be the fiery sword of retribution that ends this war. I repeat, disengage and pull away. The Emperor's blessing be upon you! -Final transmission	[Needs Citation]
Captain Rienhard of the Avenger Class Grand Cruiser "The Sword Infernus"	All ahead full and damn the torped... -Final order	[Needs Citation]

S

Speaker	Quote	Source
William Tekumsah Sherman, ancient Terran general	War is hell.	Fear to Tread (Novel) by James Swallow, Frontspiece
Argun Slyter	The wider he smiled and called us friend, the tighter we clung to our purses. -"Well What Did You Expect?" Act 2, Scene 2	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 1, p. 501
	Life's a journey. Shame about the destination. -"The Wastrel's Stratagem" Act 4, Scene 1	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 16, p. 697
Heironymo Sondar, High Master of Vervunhive	The distinction between Trade and Warfare is seen only by those who have no experience of either. -from his inaugural address	Necropolis (Novel) by Dan Abnett, Ch. 1
Herman von Strab, former Overlord of Armageddon	Brave citizens of Armageddon, I beseech you to unite with me and cast off the shackles of Imperial oppression! Join us in our holy cause! Your prince has returned to lead you to FREEDOM!!! The glorious future my ally and I promise you is becoming a reality. Your deliverance from injustice is but a heartbeat away, waiting for you to embrace it. Join us! Take arms against the Emperor's lapdogs and this world will be ours FOREVER! That we may die in this struggle is of no consequence. Freedom must be paid for, and if that price must be paid in patriots' blood, then so be it. I am Herman von Strab and I am a patriot, ready to stand up and be counted. Governance without freedom is merely tyranny by another name, and I for one am unwilling to live another day under the Emperor's yoke. So, if you would be free men stand with us and help me take back my world. -Transmission to the population of Armageddon during the Third War for Armageddon	[Needs Citation]

T

Speaker	Quote	Source
Theodre the Questioning	The Emperor walks among us. He chooses his vessels to do his work, as he has done so since time began. The rotting carcass maintained in the Golden Throne is not the Emperor, for he travels abroad, tending to his Divine Will, instilling his power into those that have been chosen. But what if the Emperor could be granted a body that does not wither and die, that could be his vessel for all eternity to come? I believe that such a thing is possible, that the Emperor yet waits for his new body to be found or created. In essence, a new Emperor will be created to lead Mankind to its destiny and conquest of the galaxy -"Musings Upon the Will of the Emperor"	[Needs Citation]
Torin, Wolfblade to House Belisarius	Beautiful on the surface, but rotten underneath. Don't ever, even for a second, doubt that this is the most dangerous world in the galaxy.... Danger does not always come in the shape of orks with bolters, Ragnar. This world is where the elite of the Imperium have gathered. We are talking now of the most ruthless, ambitious, unscrupulous collection of rogues ever culled from a million planets. This is the place they have come to realise their ambitions, and on Terra they can, and will not let anything stand in their way. Not me, not you, not their own kin if need be.	Wolfblade (Novel) by William King, Chapter Four
	But do not underestimate them. The Navigators are, for the most part, as clever as they think they are. They would not survive otherwise. They are born and trained to conspiracy as we are born and trained to war.	Wolfblade (Novel) by William King, Chapter Fourteen

V

Speaker	Quote	Source
High Lord Goge Vandire, 361st Master of the Administratum	I don't have time to die - I'm too busy! -Reputed last words	[Needs Citation]
	You do know that I am doing this for your own good, my friend. The daemons that are within you must be exorcised, so you can once more join the Emperor's fold. -during the psychic trepanning of the Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica	[Needs Citation]
Janni Vakonz, holo director	Stories are much tidier than real life. Stories have neat, happy endings, but all you ever really get is unfinished business.	For the Emperor (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Epilogue, p. 267
Historicus Ostalan Varus	The Path of the Warlock wends along the past, present and future alike. His mind is free of the constraints of time, and his destiny and promise are merged into a single state of being.	[Needs Citation]
	I have seen with mine own eyes many long and terrible wars. I have met brave men and good men whose deaths have weighed heavily upon my soul. On Anathasia I was witness to the Conquests of Zhar and the burning ruins of Ramnion haunt me still. On Badab I watched as the Tyrant's own fortress fell in dark ruin after so many years of unholy war. Even then I was not glad, for too many had fallen who were needed elsewhere. Too many lives extinguished whilst our enemies grew ever more powerful. Yet in all my many years I have never seen a sight as terrible as that great battle at the Gates of Athan. That horde of Chaos came on as a sea of blood that stretched from horizon to horizon without end. Over it hung a stink of death, a black cloud of evil which tainted the sky with its obscenity. I cannot think of it still without terror, and must endure a moment's panic to write even these few words. Even so, the Eldar did not flinch but stood their ground with a determination that exceeded human resolve as the strength of steel outmatches mortal flesh. And that was when I witnessed for the first and only time the strange secret of that race, seeing then what few humans have seen, the thing beyond human comprehension, the great daemon that is the Avatar of the Eldar.	[Needs Citation]

W

Speaker	Quote	Source
Jarvin Wallankot	You can never have too many enemies. The more you've got, the more likely they are to get in each other's way. - "Idle Musings," 605.M41	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus) by Sandy Mitchell, Ch. 15, p. 675
Warrior's Catechism of Worship	Look to your battle-gear and it will protect you We guard it with out lives Your armour is your Soul, and your Soul's dedication its armour The soul of a warrior is the shield of humanity Honour the craft of death Only the Emperor is higher in our devotion Honour the battle-gear of the Dead We ask only to serve - Part of above mentioned book	White Dwarf 93 (UK), pg. 40, "Warhammer 40'000"

Z

Speaker	Quote	Source
Peshto Vask Zemlya, Navigator	In my high seat I gaze into the immaterium and see the shadow that our own universe casts into depthlessness. This eye... this eye sees gentle flows of soul-stuff where the becalmed mind might starve to death, and tides and churns of genius and hate. The warp mocks the power of words to describe. But what I can never turn my back on is the power and the beauty of the Emperor. I see His soul shine out from Earth and His presence fill every corner of the immaterium. I am scorned for what I talk of seeing, scorned by my family - so be it. Some say that every one of us sees a face of the warp meant only for him, a warp that none other shall ever see, but it makes no matter. I have known from the first time I beheld it that I could do nothing but follow that light with my life.	Crossfire (Novel) - Enforcer (Omnibus) by Matthew Farrer, Chapter Five, pg. 119

Unattributed

Quote	Source
Between the stars the ancient unseen enemies of mankind wait and hunger. Every voyage into the nothing is a confrontation with horror, with the implacable things of the warp, and with man's own innermost fear.	[Needs Citation]
Do not neglect the defence of gateways. They must be able to bar entry as well as allowing it.	Warhammer Siege, p. 103
Do not waste your tears. I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 113
Every man is a spark in the darkness. by the time he is noticed he is gone forever. A retinal after-image that fades and is obscured by newer, brighter lights.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 93
For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die alone, unsung, and unremembered.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 72
Fotens terribilitas, adjuva me in extremis! Mighty Terribilitas, aid me in my plight! - Prayer to the Emperor	[Needs Citation]
From every culvert and gutter erupted the scum of a thousand generations in the breeding, a great swarm of evil and destruction, and darkness consumed the city of Galaspar.	[Needs Citation]
If a job's worth doing it's worth dying for. -proverb	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 28
In an Imperium of a million worlds, what matters the loss of one? That depends very much on the world.	The Chapter's Due (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Ch. 1, p. 2
Inspiration grows from the barrel of a gun.	[Needs Citation]
It is not my mind to ask questions that cannot be answered. That is the soul standing upon the crossroad of vacillation. You search for wisdom, but achieve only a stasis of will.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 35
Let the strength of your will match the stone of your walls.	Warhammer Siege, p. 112
Only in your deepest self is the truth of what you can be. And, without a doubt, that truth is terrible to bear. -Sensei saying	Book of the Astronomican, p. 70
Only the insane have strength enough to prosper. Only those who prosper may truly judge what is sane. – Proverb	[Needs Citation]
Praise the sun that brings the dawn of our final doom.	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 80
Sometimes the good must perish so that the rest survive.	[Needs Citation]
Speed the bolt that brings the end of enemy and friend.	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 76
Success is commemorated; Failure merely remembered.	Book of the Astronomican, p. 104
The greatest man is but a ripple on the surface of space.	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 76
The lot of courage is to be sacrificed on the altar of battle.	[Needs Citation]
There is no right or wrong in our profession. The present changes the past from moment to moment. Only pray for the future to vindicate your action.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 116
The warrior who acts out of honour cannot fail. His duty is honour itself. Even his death - if it is honourable - is a reward and can be no failure, for it has come through duty. Seek honour as you act, therefore, and you will know no fear.	[Needs Citation]
Walk softly and carry a big Multi-melta.	Book of the Astronomican, p. 97
Weigh the fist that strikes men down And salutes the battle won.	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 74
We shall carry our word, We will correct and unify, Hail the Emperor!	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 92
What fear of death have we who know there is immortality in the great and noble deeds of men?	Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition Rulebook, p. 110
What is the terror of death? That we die our work incomplete What is the joy of life? To die knowing our task is done.	Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, [Needs Citation]
Wisdom is the beginning of fear.	Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, p. 80