Warhammer 40K Homebrew Wiki:Canon Policy

This wiki has enforced quality control policies, in order to preserve the integrity of the site and its users. You cannot be banned for breaking most of these policies (except in cases of extremely numerous repeat offenses); however, articles and stories that do not meet the requirements laid out here will be tagged and their authors will be expected fix the issues.

Canon Friendliness

Works on this site must not conflict with official Warhammer 40,000 canon, unless they are part of an alternate universe (see the "Alternate Universes" section below). Works that violate this will be tagged as "Non-Canon Friendly", or "NCF" for short.

What is Canon?

Within fiction the definition of "canon" is the material accepted as officially part of the story in the fictional universe of that story. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction. The alternative terms mythology, timeline, universe and continuity are often used, with the former being especially used to refer to a richly detailed fictional canon requiring a large degree of suspension of disbelief (e.g. an entire imaginary world and history), while the latter two typically refer to a single arc where all events are directly connected chronologically. Other times, the word can mean "to be acknowledged by the creator(s)."

Within the Warhammer 40,000 community, most content created or licensed by the franchise's owner, Games Workshop, Limited, is considered to be canon. However, some sources are more canon than others. This means that if two canon sources conflict each other, whichever source is considered more important or trustworthy is the one that is to be followed. This is known as a canon hierarchy. Canon hierarchies may vary from person to person, but to make things simpler, this wiki follows a single hierarchy, which is as follows:

1. Officially released statements from Games Workshop and/or its employees
2. Official Warhammer 40,000 Codices
3. Black Library Publications
4. Forge World Publications
5. Official Games Workshop product descriptions & licensed third-party content (such as movies and video games)
6. Fan-base speculation

If two sources of the same level conflict one another, the newer source overrides the older one.

A Note On Canon

"Keep in mind Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are worlds where half truths, lies, propaganda, politics, legends and myths exist. The absolute truth which is implied when you talk about “canonical background” will never be known because of this. Everything we know about these worlds is from the viewpoints of people in them which are as a result incomplete and even sometimes incorrect. The truth is mutable, debatable and lost as the victors write the history…

Here’s our standard line: Yes it’s all official, but remember that we’re reporting back from a time where stories aren’t always true, or at least 100% accurate. if it has the 40K logo on it, it exists in the 40K universe. Or it was a legend that may well have happened. Or a rumour that may or may not have any truth behind it.

Let’s put it another way: anything with a 40K logo on it is as official as any Codex… and at least as crammed full of rumours, distorted legends and half-truths.

I think the real problem for me, and I speak for no other, is that the topic as a “big question” doesn’t matter. It’s all as true as everything else, and all just as false/half-remembered/sort-of-true. The answer you are seeking is “Yes and no” or perhaps “Sometimes”. And for me, that’s the end of it.

Now, ask us some specifics, eg can Black Templars spit acid and we can answer that one, and many others. But again note that answer may well be “sometimes” or “it varies” or “depends”.

But is it all true? Yes and no. Even though some of it is plainly contradictory? Yes and no. Do we deliberately contradict, retell with differences? Yes we do. Is the newer the stuff the truer it is? Yes and no. In some cases is it true that the older stuff is the truest? Yes and no. Maybe and sometimes. Depends and it varies.

It’s a decaying universe without GPS and galaxy-wide communication, where precious facts are clung to long after they have been changed out of all recognition. Read A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller, about monks toiling to hold onto facts in the aftermath of a nuclear war; that nails it for me."

— Marc Gascoigne, former head of Black Library.

This wiki considers the perception of canon described in the quote above to be the correct one. However, for the sake of simplicity, it chooses to enforce a canon hierarchy. Still, this wiki acknowledges that the hierarchical view of canon is inherently incorrect, and that the canon hierarchy laid out here should in most situations be viewed as a suggestion, not a requirement or a rule. The hierarchy's primary purpose is as a guideline for administrators when dealing with NCF content should the issue of conflicting sources become involved.

Non-Canon Friendly

Articles that contradict canon are to be tagged as Non-Canon Friendly, or NCF. In order to tag a page that is NCF, place the NCF Template at the top of the page using the shorthand code {{NCF}}, and a comment must be left on the talk page detailing the reason for the tagging. Only an administrator may remove the template, unless a page is tagged as NCF but no explanation is given within 24 hours, in which case the author of the tagged page may remove the NCF template themselves.

The use of inflammatory language (i.e. the use of language that is likely and/or clearly intended to provoke another user) when explaining an NCF tagging will result in the tagger receiving a warning. However, the tagging may remain depending on whether or not the site administration believes the issues stated by the tagger to be legitimate, although if it does remain the original explanation for the tagging will be deleted, and an administrator shall then submit their own explanation for the tagging.

After an article is marked as NCF, the author has two weeks to either fix the article or refute the tagging. After the two week period is over, a vote will be held as to whether or not the tag should be removed or the article should remain tagged and be moved into namespace. The article's author may not submit a vote, but all other users may do so.

Some things that are considered Non-Canon Friendly:

• Claiming your Chapter was created from Traitor Legion Gene-seed (Case-by-case basis)
• Claiming your Fanon Chapter is one of the Lost Legions
• Saying your Fanon Chapter is a Grey Knights Successor Chapter
• Saying your Fanon Chapter is a Space Wolves Successor Chapter (Unless it is a recently created Ultima Founding Chapter)
• Saying your Fanon Chapter is from the First Founding
• Claiming your Chapter was created whole from another Chapter (Only in rare circumstances, such as the Sons of Medusa. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis, must acquire prior Admin approval.)
• Claim your Fanon Chapter was created from a lost company
• Claiming your Fanon Chapter was secretly created by a Primarch
• Having your Fanon Chapter fulfill the role of another Imperial organisation (The Steel Confessors, created in secret by the Adetpus Mechanicus, is a rare exception.)
• Saying your Fanon Chapter was Founded by someone other than the High Lords of Terra
• Claiming that your Fanon Chapter has cured the twin-flaws of Sanguinius
• Claiming your Chapter is larger than 1,000 Astartes, which is a flagrant violation of the "1,000 Astartes only" rule in accordance to the Codex Astartes. Only in rare circumstance should a Chapter be allowed to be larger than 1,000 Astartes (such as the Black Templars Chapter), and only if they are a fleet-based Chapter (Subject to Admin approval, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.)

Note: For more a more detailed explanations, please refer to the Wiki's Guide Portal and the individual 'How To' Guides.†

Expanded & Alternate Universes

Expanded Universes

An Expanded Universe or EU is collection of fanon works which expand upon established canon, but does not contradict it. All works on this site are considered to be part of a user's own personal Expanded Universe unless otherwise stated. Note that because of this you may not link to another user's work unless you have that user's permission. Repeatedly linking (three times or more) to another user's work without their consent will be treated as a form of plagiarism. The exception are pages that have been specifically marked by their author to be open for community use, and can thus be linked to or constructively edited by anyone without repercussions.

This wiki also allows users to create collaborative Expanded Universes. Collaborative EUs allow multiple users to contribute to a shared Expanded Universe. Different collaborative EUs may have different entry requirements, some may have none at all and allow anyone to contribute, while others may require users to have been invited or that they submit an entry application. Collaborative EUs may also impose additional quality control requirements in addition to the ones laid out here (conversely, they may NOT attempt to exempt themselves from any site policies). However, collaborative EUs cannot require their participants to contribute all of their work on this site to the EU, regardless of whether or not that includes their work prior to joining the EU. The site administration believes this to be unreasonable as well as potentially detrimental to one's experience on the site.

Alternate Universes

Alternate Universes (AU for short), unlike Expanded Universes, DO diverge significantly from established canon. While AUs are a tricky subject, in short, this wiki does allow them. However, AUs must be collaborative projects centered around a core idea that differentiates the AU from established canon. For example, the Dornian Heresy project started by Aurelius Rex over on the Bolter and Chainsword forum, takes familiar Primarchs and Space Marine Legions meet very different fates. In this twisted alternate timeline Warmaster Horus was able to cast off the daemonic influences that sought to possess him, and where the Ruinous Powers were instead forced to corrupt Rogal Dorn instead to overthrow the Emperor.. AUs are NOT to be used to exempt one's content from the Canon Policy. This is why AUs must have a core idea that is clearly outlined in the AU's central project page.

Current Timeline

In accordance to recent canon, it is mentioned in the novel "Dark Imperium" by Guy Haley, that the Indomitus Crusade of the resurrected Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman (though far from done) had taken 112 years of hard campaigning and that this campaign nearing its logical conclusion. Keep in mind, these dates are all relative, as they explained in "Dark Imperium", but since no one knows exactly what the actual year is due to accurate records keeping kinda going out the window several millennia earlier (something that Guilliman is trying to fix).

As far as the latest date in M42 goes, since it takes place exactly a century after the events of the 13th Black crusade in 999.M41, that would place the latest year as ca. (circa) 111.M42. Following the Battle of the Pit of Raukos, this is when Guilliman declares the official end of the Indomitus Crusade and the disbandment of the Unnumbered Sons (Primaris Space Marines) so that he could then take part in the Plague Wars still raging in his own Realm of Ultramar.

Therefore, the furthest cut-off day that our contributors here on the WH40K Homebrew Wiki is allowed to write about shall not exceed 111.M42. Anyone who does so, will have their article tagged with an EU (Expanded Universe) tag (case-by-case basis) or in some cases, will have their article tagged with a Non-Canon tag and will have to remove the offending subject matter all together.

Crossovers

Crossovers are not allowed on this wiki under any circumstances. This wiki is meant for fan-works involving Warhammer 40,000 only. While you may make references to other fictional universes in your work here, you may not outright include elements from them.

Despite its obvious connections to Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy is still considered to be a separate universe, and crossovers with Warhammer Fantasy are therefore not allowed. The only exception to this are characters, concepts, and items which exist both in Warhammer 40,000 and in Warhammer Fantasy, such as (but not limited to) the Forces of Chaos, the Chaos Gods, and various Chaos Daemons. As these elements also exist in Warhammer 40,000 canon, they may be included without your work being considered a crossover.

If you are set on writing a crossover story and are unwilling to write about Warhammer 40,000 only, there are numerous other websites on which you may post your ideas and content, such as fanfiction.net or deviantart.com.

Note: Portions of the text here has been copied from the affiliate Warhammer 40K Fanon Wiki under the Fair Use doctrine. No challenge to their status intended.