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Dark Age of Technology

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Ages of Mankind Age of Terra - Dark Age of Technology - Age of Strife - Age of the Imperium

The Dark Age of Technology was the zenith of mankind's scientific knowledge and technological power. Even millennia later mankind has not been able to equal or regain their former height of achievement. This age was long before the Age of the Imperium and knowledge of this time period is now incredibly sparse, and many "facts" about it are mere legend. It was the highest point of scientific achievement accomplished by humanity.1-p132

Although a "golden age" in terms of scientific achievement, because of the catastrophic effects of the following Age of Strife, mankind has since come to regard scientific knowledge as abhorrent and dangerous. The Age of Technology is thus considered "dark" in the Imperium's current age. It is also considered a dark age because mankind in the Age of Technology had come to worship science as God.

This period of history occured at an older age that was thousands of years ago.1-p132 Depending on sources, the Dark Age of Technology started between M154-p280 and M18 and ended between M236 and M254-p280

The Stellar Exodus

The Stellar Exodus is man's earliest colonisation of other worlds, taking place before the Age of Technology. Humanity initially established colonies within Terra's solar system. Spacecraft were still only capable of sub-light speeds. Voyages outside the Solar System took generations and the colonies that were established were effectively isolated from each other and from Terra. Trade was therefore severely restricted. This forced the individual colonised star systems to be completely self-sufficient in all vital requirements (food, medicine, technology, etc).

In the Dark Age of Technology, mankind development terra-forming techniques and evolved astro-engineering capabilities that allowed them to transform barren worlds into habitable planets.1-p219 During this time, thousands of colonies were established by humans on distant worlds.9-p42

The Warp Drive

By M18[10], the Age of Technology brought the development of the Warp drive and the Gellar Field, allowing spacecraft to make short Warp-jumps, travelling vast distances in a relatively short amount of time. One can compare this to the way the Tau ships currently travel.

The Warp drive accelerated the colonisation of the Milky Way Galaxy, and allowed trade and communications between the colonies and Terra. Humanity began encountering other alien races, such as the Orks9 and Eldar8, and clashed with both civilizations during this period.

Navigators

The second vital development was that of the Navigator gene and the creation of the mutant Navigators, humans who could see the currents of the Warp and navigate a course through them. This allowed spacecraft to make longer and more accurate Warp-jumps than previously possible.

During this era, many forms of Mutants were created by means of genetic experimentation in order to engineer beings that could fulfill seat goals as envisioned by their creators. Amongst those created during the Dark Age of Technology is believed to include the ranks of the Navigators though whether their development was with a purpose or by accident is not known.1-p150

The STC

Amongst the creations in this scientific high point were the Standard Template Construct system.9-p42 These evolved computers allowed colonies to maintain their technological level. The STCs contained all human technological knowledge and provided the instructions to build anything the colonists might need. As most colonists were simple and required only basic equipment, the more advanced technology was rarely utilised. The resulting exploration brought mankind new knowledge, wealth and arrogance. Science is said to have become God. Humanity had encountered several alien races. With their discovery began the first human-alien wars. With mankind at the height of its power the threat of aliens was trivial and eventually non-aggression pacts were signed with many of the alien races. At this time the human colonies were federated to Terra - allowing the human race to remain unified.

During the Age of Technology psykers were first scientifically verified to exist. It is however unexplained how these psykers avoided the danger of daemonic possession for thousands of years, which would have led to the destruction of entire worlds. Where at first the gift of the psychic mutation was limited to a few individuals, who often fell victim to superstitious suppression, towards the end of the age, psykers suddenly began appearing in great numbers, on every human world. On the more progressive human worlds, these psykers - at least until the threat of daemonic possession became apparent - were protected and allowed to develop and explore their abilities. On other worlds they were often killed in witch-hunts.

The End of the Golden Age

This golden age would not last. By M22, large numbers of Psykers began to appear, many inadvertently heralding Daemonic possession and incursions. As anarchy reigned, some accounts state that a great war with the machines erupted. Faced with these calamities and the sudden appearance of perilous Warp Storms[10], trade between the human colonies collapsed. With this relative isolation, Abhumans (i.e. new human subspecies adapted to their environments) like the Ogryns, Ratlings, and Squats developed on several planets.

Certain planets, like Terra the ancient homeworld of mankind - relying on the trade with the rest of humanity - were suddenly unable to feed their enormous populations. Hunger and starvation followed. The Human psykers were relatively weak and inexperienced, and at constant risk of possession by daemons and other Warp entities. The sudden impossibility of Warp travel meant that unified humanity broke apart into completely isolated systems and worlds. Daemonic possession, widespread insanity, and isolation led to inter-human conflict, anarchy, and regression to barbarity. The following time period is aptly named the Age of Strife.

Creations of the Dark Age

Among the products of the Dark Age of Technology included phase-iron, a metallic substance that is harmful to psykers and used as chains that were not only resistant to their powers but also harmed them whenever they used it whilst wearing items made of this iron.5

Related Articles

The Squats' Age of Founding corresponds to the Age of Technology.

Sources