Story Idea Thread: post your ideas here!

[Zyobot]

The Iron Cross Over Europe: Inspired by an idea I first proposed elsewhere, this TL explores a world in which Britain sits World War One out, allowing Germany to win the resultant “Continental War” for the Central Powers and impose Versailles-like peace terms on France and Russia. A brief peacetime interlude ensues, followed by a true World War that draws the “Allied Powers” of Germany, Britain, and the US into conflict with a revanchist France and Russia, with the Allied victory and partitioning of Eurasia setting the stage for a Cold War between the enlarged German Empire and the Anglo-American Alliance. On the one hand, Britain (and later, America) is the leading light of laissez-faire and limited government, drawing on a long tradition of English liberalism and free trade as it rallies the Anglosphere to oppose the new hegemon of Central Europe (with the US soon assuming control of the driver’s seat, as soon as it becomes clear Britain is waning and soon to be surpassed by America, anyway). On the other, Germany is a parliamentary monarchy with a social-market economy modeled off of Von Bismarck’s various pension and social-insurance programs, lying at the heart of a newly formed “Mitteleuropa” bloc that incorporates friendly Austria-Hungary and strong-armed Scandinavia into a common market backed by the Reichsbank. All told, the resultant wartime and geopolitical butterflies make for a rather different twentieth century, where communism as a mainstream form of government is (more) successfully suppressed, but where liberal reforms we take for granted today--such as civil rights and female suffrage--are either delayed or emerge in other ways. In any case, empires remain more in-vogue for a while longer, though rising concerns over the rights and welfare of the colonized should make for some, shall we say, “interesting” issues well into the twenty-first century. Not to mention longer-lasting Eurocentrism receiving some serious challenges from the rise of Asia, which has grown tired of “presumptuous Europeans” romping about for so long and threatens to overtake the West, which is all too busy with its own structural problems and series of social revolutions finally bubbling to the surface.

[stevep]

Oct 24, 2021 20:02:23 GMT Zyobot said:

The Iron Cross Over Europe: Inspired by an idea I first proposed elsewhere, this TL explores a world in which Britain sits World War One out, allowing Germany to win the resultant “Continental War” for the Central Powers and impose Versailles-like peace terms on France and Russia. A brief peacetime interlude ensues, followed by a true World War that draws the “Allied Powers” of Germany, Britain, and the US into conflict with a revanchist France and Russia, with the Allied victory and partitioning of Eurasia setting the stage for a Cold War between the enlarged German Empire and the Anglo-American Alliance. On the one hand, Britain (and later, America) is the leading light of laissez-faire and limited government, drawing on a long tradition of English liberalism and free trade as it rallies the Anglosphere to oppose the new hegemon of Central Europe (with the US soon assuming control of the driver’s seat, as soon as it becomes clear Britain is waning and soon to be surpassed by America, anyway). On the other, Germany is a parliamentary monarchy with a social-market economy modeled off of Von Bismarck’s various pension and social-insurance programs, lying at the heart of a newly formed “Mitteleuropa” bloc that incorporates friendly Austria-Hungary and strong-armed Scandinavia into a common market backed by the Reichsbank. All told, the resultant wartime and geopolitical butterflies make for a rather different twentieth century, where communism as a mainstream form of government is (more) successfully suppressed, but where liberal reforms we take for granted today--such as civil rights and female suffrage--are either delayed or emerge in other ways. In any case, empires remain more in-vogue for a while longer, though rising concerns over the rights and welfare of the colonized should make for some, shall we say, “interesting” issues well into the twenty-first century. Not to mention longer-lasting Eurocentrism receiving some serious challenges from the rise of Asia, which has grown tired of “presumptuous Europeans” romping about for so long and threatens to overtake the West, which is all too busy with its own structural problems and series of social revolutions finally bubbling to the surface.

  Interesting idea but if WWI happened as you suggest, and then German impose more lenient terms on the defeated France and Russia than they did/intended OTL then in the following war Britain is likely to be on the side of the alliance seeking to take down an over-powerful Germany.  Unless for some reason the defeated powers have gone off the deep end and Germany is a lot different from OTL imperial Germany and nowhere near as erratic and hostile to Britain.  Furthermore unless Germany was really throwing its weight about I can't see the US pulled into a conflict centred on Europe. 

  Similarly in the next round of conflict while the US has traditionally had a small central government its tended to to interventionist, with assistance for big businesses - albeit that is partly from corruption and funding from those same businesses - and protectionism and I can't really see the US changing this while Germany and Britain are still economically powerful.  I think it more likely that Britain would go some way towards either the US model - i.e. protectionism and limited government support for industry - or the German with less protectionism but more emphasis on social services.

  The other issue here is what happens to Japan in this TL as its already a medium level great power and then possibly later China and India - can't see the latter staying a colony much later than OTL without a hell of a lot of bloodshed that would weaken Britain although if it gained dominion status say in the 20's and 30's it could be economically and politically closely aligned with Britain for a few decades.  Agree that once Asia starts modernising its going to be a big challenger to the European - including the US of course.

  Some interesting ideas but I think it would be difficult to get the combination of events without some significant changes possibly a few years before 1914.  For instance you would need little/no Anglo-German tension and Germany not invading Belgium to secure British neutrality in the 1st conflict.  Or just possibly Ireland explodes into civil war but even that isn't likely to prevent the government being very worried about a massive change of the balance of power on the continent.

 

[stevep]

   Something I've been thinking of the past few days.  There have been a few TLs about a Trent Crisis going hot but the situation is very heavily balanced against the union in such a scenario giving its fighting the rebellious south and the massive superiority Britain has navally and industrially.  However after the war there was a legal dispute about the southern raider Alabama which was built in a British port.  Eventually a settlement was reached but at some point more hot-headed Americans were demanding annexation of western Canada.  What if some things are different and it leads to a war?

  Here while their mostly been disbanded the US has a large number of veterans and some of them would probably answer a call to arms, while although it might be politically divisive conscription could be reintroduced.  [Of course those volunteers who had come from Britain and Canada to oppose slavery are going to be available for the other side. ]  Plus they have a large military establishment so can produce their own rifles although saltpetre might still be an issue in a longer way.  While its still largely brown water they have a navy with a lot of ironclads that would pose at least some problems for the RN with enough cannon and ships that raiders might be an issue.  Furthermore with the south defeated while their got to occupy it and there are potentials for Britain looking for allies there their not fighting a full scale war against it.

  As such if both sides are willing to go full out it could be a hell of a battle and either side could end up winning, depending of course on what the definition of winning is.

[Zyobot]

Oct 25, 2021 11:04:06 GMT stevep said:

Oct 24, 2021 20:02:23 GMT Zyobot said:

The Iron Cross Over Europe: Inspired by an idea I first proposed elsewhere, this TL explores a world in which Britain sits World War One out, allowing Germany to win the resultant “Continental War” for the Central Powers and impose Versailles-like peace terms on France and Russia. A brief peacetime interlude ensues, followed by a true World War that draws the “Allied Powers” of Germany, Britain, and the US into conflict with a revanchist France and Russia, with the Allied victory and partitioning of Eurasia setting the stage for a Cold War between the enlarged German Empire and the Anglo-American Alliance. On the one hand, Britain (and later, America) is the leading light of laissez-faire and limited government, drawing on a long tradition of English liberalism and free trade as it rallies the Anglosphere to oppose the new hegemon of Central Europe (with the US soon assuming control of the driver’s seat, as soon as it becomes clear Britain is waning and soon to be surpassed by America, anyway). On the other, Germany is a parliamentary monarchy with a social-market economy modeled off of Von Bismarck’s various pension and social-insurance programs, lying at the heart of a newly formed “Mitteleuropa” bloc that incorporates friendly Austria-Hungary and strong-armed Scandinavia into a common market backed by the Reichsbank. All told, the resultant wartime and geopolitical butterflies make for a rather different twentieth century, where communism as a mainstream form of government is (more) successfully suppressed, but where liberal reforms we take for granted today--such as civil rights and female suffrage--are either delayed or emerge in other ways. In any case, empires remain more in-vogue for a while longer, though rising concerns over the rights and welfare of the colonized should make for some, shall we say, “interesting” issues well into the twenty-first century. Not to mention longer-lasting Eurocentrism receiving some serious challenges from the rise of Asia, which has grown tired of “presumptuous Europeans” romping about for so long and threatens to overtake the West, which is all too busy with its own structural problems and series of social revolutions finally bubbling to the surface.

  Interesting idea but if WWI happened as you suggest, and then German impose more lenient terms on the defeated France and Russia than they did/intended OTL then in the following war Britain is likely to be on the side of the alliance seeking to take down an over-powerful Germany.  Unless for some reason the defeated powers have gone off the deep end and Germany is a lot different from OTL imperial Germany and nowhere near as erratic and hostile to Britain.  Furthermore unless Germany was really throwing its weight about I can't see the US pulled into a conflict centred on Europe. 

  Similarly in the next round of conflict while the US has traditionally had a small central government its tended to to interventionist, with assistance for big businesses - albeit that is partly from corruption and funding from those same businesses - and protectionism and I can't really see the US changing this while Germany and Britain are still economically powerful.  I think it more likely that Britain would go some way towards either the US model - i.e. protectionism and limited government support for industry - or the German with less protectionism but more emphasis on social services.

  The other issue here is what happens to Japan in this TL as its already a medium level great power and then possibly later China and India - can't see the latter staying a colony much later than OTL without a hell of a lot of bloodshed that would weaken Britain although if it gained dominion status say in the 20's and 30's it could be economically and politically closely aligned with Britain for a few decades.  Agree that once Asia starts modernising its going to be a big challenger to the European - including the US of course.

  Some interesting ideas but I think it would be difficult to get the combination of events without some significant changes possibly a few years before 1914.  For instance you would need little/no Anglo-German tension and Germany not invading Belgium to secure British neutrality in the 1st conflict.  Or just possibly Ireland explodes into civil war but even that isn't likely to prevent the government being very worried about a massive change of the balance of power on the continent.

 

Thanks for the feedback, Steve. I can’t speak as much to many of the specifics here, though there are a few things I’d like to clarify about where I’ll probably go with this.

Now that you mention it, Germany may need a “change in management” in advance to make it seem less threatening to Britain (though it’ll still industrialize and become a formidable economic and geopolitical competitor, similar to the beginning of OTL 20th Century). Someone with Wilhelm II’s temperament is bound to pick a fight with everyone else and abort the timeline I’m seeking to create, though whether any of his kids will be a better Kaiser in the event their father “mysteriously dies”, I don’t know. In any case, some way of keeping Von Bismarck’s judicious foreign policy while also maintaining a robust Imperial Army that can take on both France and Russia (if not necessarily both at the same time) sounds best—both for timeline’s sake and for the German Empire’s long-term future. (This means less obsessive investment in a first-rate German Navy in the meantime, of course, but so long as it makes you seem less threatening to the reigning naval superpower of the time, it’s probably worth it.)

British overtures may not have much success at first, but I think the US’s sympathies will tip in the UK’s favor as France and Russia become antagonistic. The moment Russia goes wild and tries to retake Alaska, though, no more doubt as to which side America’s on. Once the war’s won, I imagine that—given Siberia’s mineral riches and Washington’s mandate to rebuild Asia and non-German Europe in its own image—the US will come around to open markets and global trade, with America’s industrial supremacy and military might helping it flood the world with American goods and quickly overshadow Britain as the world’s leading English-speaking nation. Especially with post-war decolonization as a possibility, depending on how things go (which would cut the British Empire down to size—and while Germany still retains its own, no less!).

Again, lots of details to iron out and a long reading list on the finer points of the period for me to finish. Nonetheless, I've (somewhat impressionistically) sketched out what grand strategy and geopolitics might look like (i.e. post-World War Russia being carved up by the Americans and Germans, with the former founding a “Free Siberian Republic” in the East and the latter either annexing or propping up a servile puppet regime the West).

Format-wise, I’m inclined to write it as a series of excerpts from chapters in a history book written in-universe, with the prose being more technical and presenting a holistic, yet predictably detailed account of Germany’s rise leading up to ~2021. Which might be a good format for other AH fiction I come up with, now that I think about it (though I’ll need to trademark Counterfactual University Press before going through with it ). Perhaps I'll also set up a separate thread for Back in the USSA-esque vignettes that follow the lives of specific people, as well (no spoilers on who--other than, perhaps, an oddly-mustached Austrian--will be featured in those, though ).

[stevep]

Oct 25, 2021 22:03:04 GMT Zyobot said:

Oct 25, 2021 11:04:06 GMT stevep said:

  Interesting idea but if WWI happened as you suggest, and then German impose more lenient terms on the defeated France and Russia than they did/intended OTL then in the following war Britain is likely to be on the side of the alliance seeking to take down an over-powerful Germany.  Unless for some reason the defeated powers have gone off the deep end and Germany is a lot different from OTL imperial Germany and nowhere near as erratic and hostile to Britain.  Furthermore unless Germany was really throwing its weight about I can't see the US pulled into a conflict centred on Europe. 

  Similarly in the next round of conflict while the US has traditionally had a small central government its tended to to interventionist, with assistance for big businesses - albeit that is partly from corruption and funding from those same businesses - and protectionism and I can't really see the US changing this while Germany and Britain are still economically powerful.  I think it more likely that Britain would go some way towards either the US model - i.e. protectionism and limited government support for industry - or the German with less protectionism but more emphasis on social services.

  The other issue here is what happens to Japan in this TL as its already a medium level great power and then possibly later China and India - can't see the latter staying a colony much later than OTL without a hell of a lot of bloodshed that would weaken Britain although if it gained dominion status say in the 20's and 30's it could be economically and politically closely aligned with Britain for a few decades.  Agree that once Asia starts modernising its going to be a big challenger to the European - including the US of course.

  Some interesting ideas but I think it would be difficult to get the combination of events without some significant changes possibly a few years before 1914.  For instance you would need little/no Anglo-German tension and Germany not invading Belgium to secure British neutrality in the 1st conflict.  Or just possibly Ireland explodes into civil war but even that isn't likely to prevent the government being very worried about a massive change of the balance of power on the continent.

 

Thanks for the feedback, Steve. I can’t speak as much to many of the specifics here, though there are a few things I’d like to clarify about where I’ll probably go with this.

Now that you mention it, Germany may need a “change in management” in advance to make it seem less threatening to Britain (though it’ll still industrialize and become a formidable economic and geopolitical competitor, similar to the beginning of OTL 20th Century). Someone with Wilhelm II’s temperament is bound to pick a fight with everyone else and abort the timeline I’m seeking to create, though whether any of his kids will be a better Kaiser in the event their father “mysteriously dies”, I don’t know. In any case, some way of keeping Von Bismarck’s judicious foreign policy while also maintaining a robust Imperial Army that can take on both France and Russia (if not necessarily both at the same time) sounds best—both for timeline’s sake and for the German Empire’s long-term future. (This means less obsessive investment in a first-rate German Navy in the meantime, of course, but so long as it makes you seem less threatening to the reigning naval superpower of the time, it’s probably worth it.)

British overtures may not have much success at first, but I think the US’s sympathies will tip in the UK’s favor as France and Russia become antagonistic. The moment Russia goes wild and tries to retake Alaska, though, no more doubt as to which side America’s on. Once the war’s won, I imagine that—given Siberia’s mineral riches and Washington’s mandate to rebuild Asia and non-German Europe in its own image—the US will come around to open markets and global trade, with America’s industrial supremacy and military might helping it flood the world with American goods and quickly overshadow Britain as the world’s leading English-speaking nation. Especially with post-war decolonization as a possibility, depending on how things go (which would cut the British Empire down to size—and while Germany still retains its own, no less!).

Again, lots of details to iron out and a long reading list on the finer points of the period for me to finish. Nonetheless, I've (somewhat impressionistically) sketched out what grand strategy and geopolitics might look like (i.e. post-World War Russia being carved up by the Americans and Germans, with the former founding a “Free Siberian Republic” in the East and the latter either annexing or propping up a servile puppet regime the West).

Format-wise, I’m inclined to write it as a series of excerpts from chapters in a history book written in-universe, with the prose being more technical and presenting a holistic, yet predictably detailed account of Germany’s rise leading up to ~2021. Which might be a good format for other AH fiction I come up with, now that I think about it (though I’ll need to trademark Counterfactual University Press before going through with it ). Perhaps I'll also set up a separate thread for Back in the USSA-esque vignettes that follow the lives of specific people, as well (no spoilers on who--other than, perhaps, an oddly-mustached Austrian--will be featured in those, though ).

  Now that sounds interesting. 

  The best bet for a Germany that avoids clashing with Britain so much is possibly

a)  Frederick_III doesn't suffer throat cancer and die within a few months of becoming emperor.  He is unlikely to last until 1914 as he was born in 1831 but he was a lot more liberal and less militaristic than his son and being married to Victoria's oldest daughter its unlikely he would clash with Britain.  If he lasts until say 1905 and gets a good friendship with Edward VII then Tirpitz is unlikely to get a look in and you might even get a genuine defensive alliance.  There could still be issues when Wilhelm comes to power unless possibly he dies before then or has a different personality as a result or simply civilian government is stronger and able to restrain the military more.

b)  Possibly if Wilhelm's birth doesn't leave him with his withered arm which is supposed to have made him rather insecure and possibly hence more inclined toward militarism.

  Either of those moves might make Germany somewhat less determined on a crushing victory so when WWI comes around its over in say 1-2 years with relatively small German territorial gains, which means that revanchist France and Russia would recover quicker for your proposed 2nd round and also make Germany look less threatening to the other powers, most noticeably Britain.  Say if Germany imposed a Versailles like treaty with only small border gains and possibly establish pro-German states in Poland, the Baltic states and Finland say along with some attempts at imposing military restrictions on the defeated powers. 

  I can't really see a Russia defeated in WWI looking to attack the US as it will have somewhat higher priority in terms of defeating Germany and securing its western border.  Think you would need something to bring the US into the 2nd conflict.  Possibly if Russia and France are fighting Germany and Britain France goes the U boat route and eventually triggers war that way?  Or some tension over French colonies in the Americas - although its more likely US-UK tension here with the UK removing those as threats to its merchant shipping.  Try and give this some sort. 

  Are you having both France and Russia staying republican/imperial or changes such as a revanchist even more militaristic France.  Thinking some sort of military state/fascism but would suggest not full on Nazi type.  Both because its too cliques and also France would really want to be able to call on its imperial territories for manpower and that's difficult if its intensely racists and viewing them as sub-human.  Russia could go any one of a number of ways.  Possibly either imperial or Republican but pushing a strong Pan-Slavic agenda which would gain some support in the Balkans and also cause problems in the Austrian empire if its failed to reform enough.  [I'm thinking of ways to make the Franco-Russian alliance strong enough and the German-Austrian one weak enough that Britain is pulled in on the latter side and also that the war then lasts long enough for the US to also be drawn in on the same side].

  Steve

[Zyobot]

Heir to the Red Tsar: Following Stalin's death in March 1953, a power struggle ensues in which his subordinates jockey for their boss's former position. Eventually, it's Lazar Kaganovich who comes out on top and becomes the new General Secretary, keeping the USSR firmly Stalinist and ruling with every bit as much repression and brutality as his predecessor, and then some...

[ukron]

The Two lions/Nacht und Nebel: designed through some evening/night discussion with my old man (so clearly ASB): a different WW2 where four sides take part in the conflict from 1939 to 1948: in this AH: French-English Union was a thing until an english disaster at Dunkirk, United Kingdom authorities seek a peace leading to a mass exodus of free french and free english towards Canada and Quebc.

So by 1952: The Franco-Commonwealth Union (United Kingdom overseas position, French colonial Empire (except Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), Canada, Australia and New Zealand (both states being now more close to United States)/ United States isolationnist after the defeat of Operation Majestic in Syria (yeah, Germans and Italians manage to take parts of Middle East, long story)/ Japan get beatean harder by Washington (three atomic bombs+ a tactical one use against a rogue hawkish japanese outpost in Rabaul)/ Soviet Union still operating despite loss of Ukraine and Caucasus (Stalin died too and Joukov/Beria are in charge for the best and the worst...)/ Axis (Heinrich Himmler is the Reichfürher/ and things get worse: Italy is engulfed into a brutal yugoslavian war and have good reasons to think Germania is behind it, Greece is a close ally of Germany (in this timeline, SD overpassed Abwehr).

[Zyobot]

Counsel From The Gods: A retinue of time-displaced Classicists become the advisors to Julius Caesar, right as he crosses the Rubicon and catalyzes the first in a series of civil wars to end the Roman Republic. Among their number are Adrian Goldsworthy, Mary Beard, Victor David Hanson, and some others I have yet to come across in my woefully insufficient studies of Classical Antiquity, thus far. (My TL is liable to renaming as soon as I find a better title, too, so there's that.)

[razor007]

The Time-Merchant of Death:

-A Time-traveler from a year 2080-Earth goes to a year 900-Earth to get rich as an advisor and merchant for hire

-Going from place to place with his two Robot-guards he hires himself out to various military or political leaders involved in any war. He offers weapons, get-rich inventions and other tools and information.

-Obviously, most accept his offer after a demonstration is made. Even when it means having the leader sign a contract which results in him being assassinated should he break the rules. No BS is tolerated.

-One time a Russian noble hired his service allowing his small army to be armed with Gunpowder weapons to curbstomp a much larger Nomadic Horsemen Horde. A stipulation in the contract forces him to ban slavery and serfdom.

-Another time a Byzantine Emperor hired him to Industrialize his empire. In exchange women are allowed to enter certain professions such as engineers and emperors

-He then uses the wealth and influence to build and fund hospitals which take care of the poor and provide free vaccinations to prevent historical disease outbreaks. As well as build up his secret private colony in North America.

[razor007]

Al-Gore invades Bronze Age Mesopotamia

-Futuristic Time-traveler goes to 2000 Earth US and helps Al Gore be elected. Time-traveler turns Mississippi into the richest state through producing future tech.

-He helps Al-Gore prevent 9/11 in exchange for 'borrowing' the US Army to send through a Dimensional Portal

-Rather than invade Iraq/Afghanistan the US Army invades Mesopotamia 3350 BCE to create a Secular, Proggressive, Prosperous and Technologically Advanced Republic in Ancient Sumeria

-Needless to say the cat goes out the bag. Time-traveler escapes to another Earth. Other Time-travelers arrive saying he's a criminal for doing Time-travel

-2001 Earth has to deal with 3350 BCE Earth plus a Futuristic-Alternate Earth. Russia, EU, Saudi, China, Japan, etc demand some of the advanced tech or they will screw with Gore's US

France 2.0 Fear the Blue-Superblob!

-Time-traveler is hired to be a Technology Advisor to Francia when Charlemagne was just a baby. France starts the Industrial Revolution which causes the Byzantine Empire, Arabs, India and China to do the same.

-The French Empire takes over most of Europe including Scandinavia. The French become Progressive and more Autocratic at the same time (Ban Serfdom but Emperors get more power). Advisor quits in disgust and goes to the Americas.

-Americas go to war with France in this world's version of WW1

[shadow007]

No Vietnam, only Amerikan Revolution 2.0

-Time traveler kills Lee Oswald and prevents JFK's assassination. Amerika never gets involved in Vietnam.

-Time traveler uses the last charge of his timeline-crossing machine to let 1960s US send people to 1753 Thirteen Colonies Parallel Earth/Timeline.

-Black soldiers lose it and free every slave, killing lots of racist slave owners

-America gains Independence by 1754 and has a huge technological advantage over everyone else

[Zyobot]

Cross-posting a fanfic idea I had in the Miscellaneous Warhammer Thread:

SPOILER: Click to show

I first floated the idea a ways back, but to elaborate on it somewhat: My fanfic draws on the notion of sentient emotions and beliefs giving rise to deities in the Warp that come to embody them, as is the case with the Imperial Cult sustaining the Emperor of Mankind or the turbulent state of the Galaxy fueling the Dark Gods of Chaos. However, my interest lies in the other, more “theoretical” beings who’d arise from this process — namely, the Machine God so fervently worshipped by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

The Adeptus Mechanicus is as old as the Imperium itself — and their faith even older, what with the Tech-Priests of Mars practicing the Cult Mechanicus before the Emperor came along and conscripted them to his cause in exchange for being allowed to retain their faith. At present, there exists an uneasy syncretism between the Imperial Cult and the Cult Mechanicus. However, even ignoring the Tech-Priests’ continued reverence for the Machine God (and the Emperor as more of a “Machine Jesus”), the ubiquitous (if not enthusiastic or innovation-happy) use of technology and pervasive belief in Machine Spirits throughout the Imperium provides a basis for a new, long-gestating Warp God to finally awaken.

Come the 42nd Millennium, and Psykers and Tech-Priests across the Galaxy are hit by a “thunderclap” of psychic energy as what began as occasional sightings of new “machine daemons” and skirmishes with elusive, but technologically advanced warships of consistent design and capabilities becomes an onslaught when a host of new Warp Storms open. A new player has entered the Great Game, and when the Fabricator-General of Mars renounces the Emperor as a “False Omnissiah” and pledges fealty to the newest God of the Warp, so, too, does most of the Adeptus Mechanicus. A Second Schism is now underway, but the reign of Deus Machinarum — “God of the Machines” — has only just begun.

Despite its recent emergence, the Machine God of the Warp is known by many titles: Deus Machinarum, the Great Gear, the Machine in the Warp, the Omnicog, the Orthodox Omnissiah, and a hundred-thousand other epithets spoken by Tech-Priest and Heretek alike across the Galaxy. As these names imply, it is the Warp God of machines, industry, and technology — ranging from simple mechanisms like gears and pulleys, to Dark Age marvels like STC constructs and Men of Iron. It also claims domain over the various disciplines that led to their invention, with the subjects of mathematics, engineering, and scientific discovery and innovation falling under its sway — much to the alarm and paralyzing panic of Imperials, Mechanicus loyalists, and neutral tinkerers the Galaxy over.

Like its rival deities, the Machine God has its own residence in the Warp that reflects and gives visual quality to the fields in which it claims domain. It dwells in the middle of the Foundry-Scape, an endless expanse of factories, power plants, and giant gears whose size and productive capacity put the likes of Mars to utter and fatal shame. But much like the Forge Worlds of Realspace (who are but pale imitations reserved for the Great Gear’s mortal servants), its assembly lines work ’round the clock to mass-produce armies of mechanical daemons — known as “Warpbots” — who act as the Machine God’s disciplines and foot soldiers in the Materium, easily being a match for the Necrons and C’tan Shard super-weapons in direct combat. Indeed, many have noted the Warpbots’ strange resemblance to the long-defunct Men of Iron of ages past, with some going so far as to theorize that even before fully awakening, the Machine God had unconsciously triggered the Cybernetic Revolt that saw mankind’s machines turn on them and resulted in the outlawing of Abominable Intelligence throughout the Galaxy. In any case, it remains a theory for now, though many fear the fully awakened Machine in the Warp may perform even worse feats of technological terror than that as the 42nd Millennium rages on.

Even though it lacks a physical form or appearance comprehensible to mortal minds, the Machine God is best visualized as a colossal mass of gears and sprockets held together by metal chassis and dotted by computer terminals, conveyor belts, and mechanical tendrils that flow out from its body. In the middle of its gargantuan central cog is a single red eye that focuses in and out on whatever the Machine God has turned its gaze to, much to the consternation of beings on the receiving end. In short, imagine it as a roughly planet-sized Klingklang with a color scheme of Martian gold, red, and rusted grayish-brown — as well as numerous other machines attached and appended to its physique — and that is the Machine God, dubious visual qualities as a Warp entity notwithstanding.

While its emergence was felt by all and its role to play in galactic affairs profound, the Machine God’s reception throughout the Materium has been mixed. Its most obvious devotees include the bulk of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who have defected from the Imperium and pledged themselves to the newly emergent Machine in the Warp. Unfortunately, this has produced a Second Schism on a scale not seen since the Horus Heresy, which — as cribbed from some ideas put forth by Bassoe right here — has split it into an Orthodox Mechanicus loyal to the Great Gear, an Imperial Mechanicus that remains loyal to the Emperor, and a Draconic Mechanicus that venerates the recently awakened Void Dragon of Mars, now in direct competition with the Machine in the Warp for the title of “True Machine God”. More schismatic still are the numerous “heterodox” cults in the margins, ranging from a minority that believes the true Machine God is neither a C’tan nor a Warp deity, to sects of the Dark Mechanicus who seek to create their own “Dark Omnissiah” in the Warp to act as the Chaotic rival to the Orthodox Omnissiah in much the same way as Unicron is the equal and opposite of his brother Primus in the Transformers franchise.

However, for all the “mixed” reception the Machine God has received in the Materium, it pales compared to the dissonant reactions it has received in the Warp. Chief amongst these is the Dark Gods of Chaos, who fear the newest arrival as an all-too-powerful interloper and Second Great Force for Order alongside their longstanding archnemesis, the Emperor of Mankind. The Machine God has caused them considerable trouble on the ground, as well, what with the mass-conversion of Chaotic Tech-Priests to the Orthodox Omnissiah and resultant “Scrapcode Wars” in which Chaotic machinery (such as Daemon Engines) has become increasingly vulnerable to “disinfectant cleansing” by the Great Gear, turning them from rickety demonic constructs into well-oiled mechanical wonders used by the Orthodox Mechanicus. Its relations with more “material” gods fare no better, as the Void Dragon — once the “original” Machine God whom the originators of the Cult Mechanicus mistook for divine and made their god of choice — must now compete with the Machine in the Warp for followers, with the consequent clashes between the Orthodox and Draconic Mechanicus — as well as Imperial Mechanicus loyalists — proving especially fiery and baleful. But perhaps most ominous of all are the tiny, but growing sects of the Dark Mechanicus who’ve drawn twisted inspiration from the emergence of an “orthodox” Machine God and seek to create one of their own as their Chaotic rival in the Warp — laying the groundwork for the emergence of a Fifth Chaos God who, if born, will unleash a galaxy-spanning, techno-theological apocalypse to make the Horus Heresy, Age of Strife, and War in Heaven look insignificant in scale.

This is what the Coming of Deus Machinarum hath wrought. And as the Galaxy is wracked to its very core by the Second Schism, endless Warpbot incursions, and the arrival of the Orthodox Omnissiah in the 42nd Millennium, an age-old adage becomes more relevant than ever: “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.”

Other than that, a Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to come! 🥳