Is there only war?

[The_NightBringer]

In the universe of Warhammer 40k, the rythm of explosions, the choir of screaming shells and the agonising cries of the wounded all contribute to Warhammer's malevolent orchestra. For in the grim darkness of the far-future, there is only war....Or is there? My question is, if a minority of many races should grow weary of the perpetuous conflicts, is there a location / have there been any known locations where a variety of races have co-existed together? For I wish to write about a settlement akin to Mass effect's Omega system. Where on the fringes of the galaxy lies a settlement, a settlement where races who have long grown weary of war have retreated to.

So gentlemen, is there peace among the stars?

[MOMUS]

Interex...?

[yabbadabba]

Just create a space; the 40K universe has the potential to be infinite in the minds of its players.

Could be a good place to house one of the Fallen.

[totgeboren]

Coalitions of races do exist, just look at the Tau. However, you need to remember that for example Nids and Orks don't really care if their opponents wants to fight them or not.
Even a coalition/settlement as you describe would require the means to defend themselves from raiders of all kinds at the very least. Speaking of pirates, there are many pirate ports around for example the Maelstrom where a mix of races co-exist.

[Sir_Turalyon]

Such a place may exist. Some background (Kill Team novel among them) suggests that to minor races the Milky Way is pretty much a space opera - as long as they stay away from expanding Imperium, Orks / Rogue Traders stumbling upon them, Eldar exterminating them for no apperent reason, Necrons waking under their feet or Tyranid venting their bad codex frustrations on them.

Most were probably cleansed by Great Crusade ;-).

[Col. Tartleton]

There is definitely room for peace. War isn't everywhere, but it's around every corner. People are going to work to make bullets for "The Front", but it's a far away place none of them will ever see. The galaxy revolves around war. There is room for pockets of quiet, but they are eyes in a storm of eternal conquests and rebellions.

[Buddha777]

Speaking of pirates, there are many pirate ports around for example the Maelstrom where a mix of races co-exist.

I actually think that, in all irony, that the priate gangs would be the best place to find refuge in diversity. While no means peaceful, the concept of multi-cultural cooperation is non-existent outside of this third party realm.

The Tau have some sort of coalition system, though with the Tau themselves as the head (and openly viewing races like the kroot as expendable in conflict), and old night empires such as the interex seemed to have something similar. Beyond that though it's you and your species against everything else in the verse' that can, and is, actively trying to kill you.

[lovelessmerc]

The vieled region might be such a location, it is illegal for most of the Imperium to enter, but certain people have setled it over the millenia. And seeing as they are cut off from the Imperium they probably have cultivated alliances and trade agreements with the other dezins of the region. Though a nec tomb world has just awoken it has been destroyed by the Admech and renegade chapter The Soul Drinkers. No where is safe in the hell hole that is the Milky way.

[drakkzharr]

In one of the Ciaphas Cain novels there was a mention about a retirement/vacation planet for the wealthy citizens and retired generals. So no there isn't war everywhere. The galaxy is a big place, it's only reasonable that some places havent seen war for ages.

[Formerly Wu]

I think there's several actual questions here.

Are there peaceful areas of the galaxy?

Certainly. Many, many planets can escape war for generations or centuries. Some of them are even pleasant places to live. For those within the Imperium there's a certain militaristic mindset that means that even these planets have a background war footing (production or even just a noble dynasty with a tradition of service), but to many the wars of the galaxy can seem very far off indeed.

Can different alien races coexist?
The fringes of the galaxy, and the many small empires that exist within and outside the Imperium, can be quite a melting pot. Outcast or Kabalite eldar, mercenary kroot, freeboota orks, rogue traders, and hundreds of minor species all rub shoulders in these spaces. These enclaves are typically pretty violent places though, and if there is any authority it is applied via overwhelming threat of force.

But can different alien races coexist in peace? That runs up against one of the basics of the universe, which is that the 40k galaxy is fundamentally hostile to life. If it's not death worlds, it's ancient alien empires that destroy meddling lesser beings, or daemons from hell, or a simple clerical error that dooms a whole planet to Mad Max style starvation and death. Or hives that would collapse into megascale riots without constant extra-planetary imports and crushing civil oppression. Or simple interstellar travel that is so unreliable that entire city-ships can vanish without a trace or have its crew explode into supernatural evil. Or ravenous extra-galactic super-predators, or an unthinking green tide that doesn't care for your ideals. Or, or, or...

The point is, living in this universe requires a certain level of ruthless economy of scale. Religion and feudal bonds ensure that everyone thinks and acts in ways that support the whole, regardless of individual loss or concerns. Some aliens maybe trustable, but most are not; thus all must be enemies of the Imperium lest they undermine the system. And the aliens in turn learn not to trust the Imperium, leading to inevitable conflict. Exceptions exist, but they are just that.

So while it's not impossible, I think the creation or sustaining of such a place would be massively difficult and unlikely. Without a truly unique confluence of peaceful location, stable resource supply/technological base, and powerful set of like-minded personalities, it would not last long at all.

[Theocracity]

So while it's not impossible, I think the creation or sustaining of such a place would be massively difficult and unlikely. Without a truly unique confluence of peaceful location, stable resource supply/technological base, and powerful set of like-minded personalities, it would not last long at all.

Not to mention the fact that if this region is prosperous, peaceful, and easily defended you can bet that all the warlike factions struggling for resources and an upper hand are sure to say "WE WANT THAT" and bring war to them whether they like it or not.

[randian]

The Imperium's expansion wasn't finished when the Heresy happened, so I think it certain that some Old Night human empires hadn't been conquered, and possibly still exist in M41. Whether they are havens of peace it's difficult to say. The Imperium isn't hassling them, but who knows how much of the Milky Way is infested with Orks and Necrons, not to mention unknown aliens whose empires don't border the Imperium. Then again, since all the known intelligent races (other than the Necrons) were created by the Old Ones, and the Old Ones didn't appear to inhabit the entire Milky Way, perhaps known space contains all the intelligent life in the Milky Way.

[Eetion]

The Cabal in Legion seem to be made up of many different species. They also seem to have at least visited other worlds. Its not outside the realms of possibility they maintained hidden outposts and waystations.

[Shas'o Gavner'Elan]

For I wish to write about a settlement akin to Mass effect's Omega system.

As I started reading this thread, I had Mass Effect in mind. As mentioned before, I agree in thinking the galaxy is so massive that there must surely still be undiscovered human worlds where they can prosper without the Imperium burning down their forests, destabalising their ecosystems, turning their cities into massive uber-religious tombs and replacing their farms with continent-sized munitions factories. And on these worlds, away from the preaching of the Inquisition, there must be folk willing to advocate peace and negotiate with aliens, maybe forming a Mass Effect Council-style confederation. And there must also be minor, undiscovered or ignored alien races who have a similar mindset. (As appealing as this sounds, I'd still probably rather not live in such a situation - as soon as the Imperium rediscovered them they'd be screwed! Unless they joined the Tau, but, as Buddha777 said, the Tau are currently 'first among equals'. i.e. They're in charge - joining their empire isn't likely to lead to a fair union.)

Of course, this could just be the result of a mind weary of reading about how mankind will wreck itself and the rest of the galaxy, demolishing progress and culture in place of war and only war in the far future. :P

[Iron_Lord]

The Koronus Expanse in Rogue Trader is a lot like this- lots of old human settlements, lots of aliens, Rogue Traders doing different things depending on attitude- some buying alien stuff off the settlements, some leading invasion armies to conquer them.

[Theocracity]

As I started reading this thread, I had Mass Effect in mind. As mentioned before, I agree in thinking the galaxy is so massive that there must surely still be undiscovered human worlds where they can prosper without the Imperium burning down their forests, destabalising their ecosystems, turning their cities into massive uber-religious tombs and replacing their farms with continent-sized munitions factories. And on these worlds, away from the preaching of the Inquisition, there must be folk willing to advocate peace and negotiate with aliens, maybe forming a Mass Effect Council-style confederation. And there must also be minor, undiscovered or ignored alien races who have a similar mindset. (As appealing as this sounds, I'd still probably rather not live in such a situation - as soon as the Imperium rediscovered them they'd be screwed! Unless they joined the Tau, but, as Buddha777 said, the Tau are currently 'first among equals'. i.e. They're in charge - joining their empire isn't likely to lead to a fair union.)

Of course, this could just be the result of a mind weary of reading about how mankind will wreck itself and the rest of the galaxy, demolishing progress and culture in place of war and only war in the far future. :P

Keep in mind, though, that this peaceful and open culture relies entirely on secrecy in order to remain separate from the Imperium. If some roaming Rogue Trader or Explorator Fleet stumbles across them and their planets get on to Imperium star charts, it's only a matter of time before some Munitorum spreadsheet determines that their resources and location could add .2% to a sector's war effort and suggests a new Crusade.

If they allow even rumors to leak, it could threaten their entire civilization. Their people would be conscripted, their planet's resources plundered, their leaders brought to heel, and any who dealt with xenos put to the sword. To avoid this fate, they'd have to maintain a harsh policy of secrecy. Any who arrive should not be allowed to leave, under penalty of death. It sounds harsh, but they would need it to survive - after all, if any Imperials did slip out, they would report on a civilization of xeno-lovers responsible for the unprovoked murder of Imperial servants.

In the grim darkness of the far future, even peaceful open-minded negotiators have to act like a xenophobic murderous cult to survive .

[Formerly Wu]

As mentioned before, I agree in thinking the galaxy is so massive that there must surely still be undiscovered human worlds where they can prosper without the Imperium burning down their forests, destabalising their ecosystems, turning their cities into massive uber-religious tombs and replacing their farms with continent-sized munitions factories. And on these worlds, away from the preaching of the Inquisition, there must be folk willing to advocate peace and negotiate with aliens, maybe forming a Mass Effect Council-style confederation. And there must also be minor, undiscovered or ignored alien races who have a similar mindset.

Very possible. But again, fundamentally hostile universe. Any such region would have to deal with all the same threats the Imperium does (implacably hostile aliens, warp storms and incursions, extreme environments, politics and civil unrest), without its benefits of size, resources and organization, and with the added possibility of discovery and subsequent conquest/annihilation.

I imagine it wouldn't end up being a very pleasant place after all.

[yabbadabba]

You can always base the whole concept on a 60s/70s hippy commune.

Going to the toliets would be epically Grimdark.

[Exitas-Acta-Probat]

i think the best plan would be to go along the route as the dispoarax fleet. which was a massive fleet of truly ancient ships from the dark age of technology and before along with aliens ships of equal antiquity. they spend their days running and hiding from anyone and everyone. of course they survived because they kept moving. think battlestar galactica with some 40k thrown in.

[MvS]

'Wild West' regions on the fringes of space controlled by the great empires could be like this, although living together as traders and with mutual non-aggression isn't quite the same as peace. Or rather, you could have 'negative peace' (so the absence of fighting but other acute inter-social problems) or 'positive peace' (actual, intentional and consistent peace and co-operation of various sorts).

I think a good way to go would be a mutual defence arrangement, where societies have chosen to work together because they know they face larger threats that they have no means of countering alone. That way you can have the peace and still fit it into the ever present threat that is the 40K galaxy.