Could the Imperium accept [i]any[/i] aliens?

[DeRogue]

Bear in Mind the Necrons only have non Warp FTL because they've beat Science.

On Topic, The Imperium is typically willing to accept aliens as protectorates or client states, so long as they pledge themselves to the Imperial creed, and recognize themselves an unworthy, vile xenos so far below humanity that they are only there to be slaves or meatshields when the real humans go in to battle/need cheap labour.

[lance]

Would most ST aliens even qualify as xenos in the Imperium? Between the crossbreeding, and I think the mutants that I think the Imperium has...

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I'm pretty sure they could qualify as abhumans...although some of the really out there aliens like Cardassians and Nausicans will probably end up as fodder for some really conservative inquisitor, arbiter or confessor.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I thought the Tau were so un-psyker that they didn't even believe in the warp.

[Todeswind]

I thought the Tau were so un-psyker that they didn't even believe in the warp.

Considering that they have faster than light warp travel and that they've fought entire possessed armies I'm skeptical that they don't believe in Chaos and the warp. The notable difference between the Tau and the Imperial explanations for warp phenomenon is that the Imperium rationalizes it within the context of their religion, the Tau analyze it within the limits of science.

[Hawkwings]

Nono, there are definitely bits of fluff that have Tau saying "Daemons and such are all a lie made up by your ridiculous religion!"

Their "Warp" travel does not expose them to daemons because it is so damn slow. It only barely skims the edge of warpspace.

And possessed armies are not the same as daemon armies.

[Todeswind]

No, you misunderstand. I mean LITERAL daemonic armies, legion troops, blood-thirsters and all. The Tau think that the idea of "Deamons" and Daemonic possession are ridiculous but that doesn't stop them from burning the corpses of possessed, daemons, and chaos marines rather than letting the Kroot eat them. They find the religious dogma behind the explanations of these phenomenon to be ridiculous, and have only limited experience with them outside of battlefield conditions but they are aware of the existence of warp creatures.

Of course the compartmentalization of knowledge within Tau society makes it so that they have specialized "groups" of knowledge. They're big believers in the "understanding is not important, only unity and obedience dogma." One would not expect a low rank Tau fire warrior or a Earth caste member to have knowledge of them but a member of the diplomatic, high level Fire Warrior or Etheral cast to have knowledge of the subject at hand. They are admittedly still rather naive.

There is an old white dwarf story about an early battle between chaos cultists (Codex LTD era) and the Tau where the kroot devour the flesh of the deamonettes and go absolutely bonkers. There have also been various chaos pirate fleets to invade Tau space.

This being said the Tau's limited access to psychics and their general unwillingness to accept answers that don't conform to their limited world view render them unable to do much more than have a cursory understanding of the subject.

[Elheru Aran]

Re Tau and daemons:

Tau have fought daemons and such, in one bit of fluff supposedly they take down a bloodthirster with some major loss of life.

However, their approach isn't "daemons and warp-spawn are creatures of Hell", it's more like "daemons and warp-spawn are inhabitants of a different plane of existence/especially exotic aliens". The Ethereals might know better, but they aren't letting on aside from making sure they clean up afterwards.

The Imperium makes alliances of convenience with aliens on occasion, but for the most part it's a matter of "We're playing nice for now, but once we're done with x threat, you're next." Exceptions: various Ordo Xenos, Rogue Traders... that's about it.

[Molyneux]

An idea that's been bouncing around inside my head might be an interesting hypothetical for the rest of you.

What would happen if the Imperium - say, a chapter of Astartes scouting uncharted space, or a colonisation crew - came across an alien race that promptly started worshipping them - or the Emperor? Say, little green guys, maybe about the size of a human child, who immediately start cargo-culting it up - trying to form Guardsmen corps to contribute to the tithe, and essentially acting towards the whole of humanity pretty much like the slightly irritating younger brother imitating his cool big bro.

What would the Imperium reaction be, really? Are you allowed to kill xenos if they're actively and enthusiastically worshiping the Emperor?

[Whiskey144]

Probably. But it'd be much easier to simply send the Emperor-worshiping xenos to die for the Emperor.

It's a win-win; end result is dead xenos, but you further the cause of the Imperium.

[CaptainChewbacca]

What would happen if the Imperium - say, a chapter of Astartes scouting uncharted space, or a colonisation crew - came across an alien race that promptly started worshipping them - or the Emperor? Say, little green guys, maybe about the size of a human child, who immediately start cargo-culting it up - trying to form Guardsmen corps to contribute to the tithe, and essentially acting towards the whole of humanity pretty much like the slightly irritating younger brother imitating his cool big bro.

What would the Imperium reaction be, really? Are you allowed to kill xenos if they're actively and enthusiastically worshiping the Emperor?

As has been said, the Imperium doesn't really have a problem with nonviolent Xenos. Get the wrong Inquisitor finding their planet, though, and it doesn't really matter. I can't see them getting protected status though.

[Cykeisme]

I can imagine a lot of more puritanic quarters finding xenos that worship the Emperor even more abominable than regular run-of-the-mill alien scum.

Of course, as CaptainChewbacca said, expensive xenos-eradicating operations aren't usually undertaken on non-hostile xenos unless they're in the way of a construction project or something, and these guys are about as non-hostile as you can get.

[Swindle1984]

Isn't there a famous Space Marine librarian who is half-human, half-Eldar? And isn't there some Eldar chick who is convinced she's destined to get married to the Emperor?

[Cykeisme]

Didn't know about those..
Got any more info?

[Wing Commander MAD]

Wasn't the half-human half-eldar from Rogue Trader, and somewhat of a holdover from when 40K was still Warhammer Fantasy in Space? Regardless I think I've read that has since been retconned out. Mind you my knowledge is all second-hand as I generally haven't the time or inclination to buy rule books for games I'll never play, though I'd probably look into buying some the Black Library stuff if I had some extra cash and time to read it. Likewise, I'll buy the 40K computer games because I can at least play those myself or with others online.

[Todeswind]

Isn't there a famous Space Marine librarian who is half-human, half-Eldar? And isn't there some Eldar chick who is convinced she's destined to get married to the Emperor?

No. No there aren't.

[RecklessPrudence]

Isn't there a famous Space Marine librarian who is half-human, half-Eldar? And isn't there some Eldar chick who is convinced she's destined to get married to the Emperor?

No. No there aren't.

Also Swindle, an Inquisito Fnord of the Ordo Hereticus would like a word with you, and some techpriests are babbling about 'Friend Computer'.

In other words, yes, retconned. Retconned the Warp out of.

[Swindle1984]

And the Eldar in question is Macha from Dawn of War. I have no idea if the whole "meant to be with the Emperor" thing is canon or fanon.

[Darksider]

that's an annoying meme that got started on 1-d-4 Chan. It is in no way canon whatsoever.

[CaptainChewbacca]

If it started on a chan, why the heck does it look like it was scanned out of a book?

[Xess]

If it started on a chan, why the heck does it look like it was scanned out of a book?

Odds are only the Macha thing is from 1d4 Chan, rather than the half-eldar psyker. Of course it could be from one of the Dawn of War novelizations, I haven't read them so I wouldn't know.

[Darksider]

Yeah. The "Macha luvs Emperor" bullshit is from da chan, but the half-eldar chief librarian was once canon, though it ended up going the way of the squats.

[Zor]

Yeah. The "Macha luvs Emperor" bullshit is from da chan, but the half-eldar chief librarian was once canon, though it ended up going the way of the squats.

Squats are still cannon, just extinct.

Zor

[Darksider]

it was retconned and no one really talks about it. IIRC the current canon is that while humans and eldar may look similar, attempts at interbreeding would produce stillborn abominations

[Todeswind]

There are unquestionably examples of half eldar half humans even in the modern cannon. There is not, however, a full chapter of half eldar space marines.