Iconoclast Ending [Spoilers]

[praguepride]

I have to say after some chewing on it, I really enjoyed the iconoclast ending. I know it comes as a bit of a surprise but I was just re-reading the Siege of Vrak and the Imperium has a long history of trying to off regional rulers, failing, and triggering civil wars.

I think it really is a testament to how much support an Iconoclast rogue trader develops over the sector that the Imperium views him as a threat, and it kind of makes sense. When you arrive the Von Val's are just one of a trio of rogue traders and other influential factions vying for power and control. However over the course you unify the sector behind you, single handedly defeat and defy huge threats, and basically end up drawing worship away from the Emperor. When the crew of your ship and the people of Footfall are chanting your name, they aren't chanting the Emperor's.

Also, sadly, there is a lot of historical precedence for it. Stalin's purges targeted very popular military leaders that he viewed as a threat to his rule despite their skill and service to Russia.

I can't wait to do a dogmatic run now. Purge the xenos! Burn the heretic. So on and so forth...

[Balekai]

Well when it came to the Siege of Vraks, it was warranted just breezing through a wiki for this post. Cardinal Xaphan was a saviour and seen as a saint by many sure, but he was also swayed to chaos through hubris about his relationship to the Emperor, which led to total corruption.

However, you're not wrong that an Iconoclast RT starts to steal some of the the Emperor's thunder in the Expanse as unintentional as that may be. When that starts to happen one can expect to be "throne" under the bus (hehehe), like Joan D'Arc and countless other similar figures. At the very least the RT would probably start to be seen as a Living Saint (and may even be blessed as such as more people worship the Emperor through the RT's image). The powers that be might feel threatened by a leader seen as a Living Saint promoting equity, rights, mass education and knowledge for the masses. Current Imperial Creed vs. defunct Imperial Truth.

That said the order from Holy Terra itself to wipe out your minuscule Dynasty is very telling. Especially with the state of the Maw, the present mortal dangers to the Imperium on all sides, the backwater nature of the Expanse, and the unlikelyhood of an Imperial Invasion fleet ever arriving. That's a lot of resources to pour into such a "problem" with a goodie two shoes RT that's pretty much 100% covered by Rogue Trader mandates and still loyal to the Imperium.


Unless of course...


It has much more to do with the fate of the High Inquisitor and his "project." How they could have found out I do not know let alone how they know any happenings in the Expanse with the Maw closed. Maybe some secret means of getting messages through was used by surviving Inquisition or the local Koronus Imperial Fleet. Luck?

Regardless, if they knew what the High Inquisitor was up to and even sanctioned it, then the project's failure by the hands of the RT would easily warrant such a reaction and putting down whatever the High Inquisitor or the Rogue Trader woke up. I know I would in their shoes.

Unfortunately for them and fortunately for your RT if you get the Secret Iconoclast Ending, they're powerless to do much of anything:

1. Nomos Dimensional Wards (which the dimensional part never actually sunk in until I just reread the epilogue before posting). As the epilogue slide suggests this acts as a far better ward from the Imperium than the Great Rift ever was. This led me to recently compare an Iconoclast Koronus Expanse situation to the Fantasy's Lileath and her created Haven Realm. Instead it's a C'tan-like Star God doing it for a whole region of space.

C'tan Star God Dimensional Power (game even states the C'Tan existed before the universe was created I think lol) > Chump Chaos Gods (that can't even exist in realspace, and *spoilers* imprison a Heretical Nomos because they fear it too much I have learned recently)! :p :P

2. If you maxed your Navy Reputation, the actual Imperial fleet that can do something (local fleet). tries and fails miserably with the vast majority of its captains defecting. The Von Valacius Dynasty gaining an Imperial Fleet over night in the process.

Then there's all the other happy endings with max approvals etc. and the Von Vanancius Dynasty the undisputed super power of the Expanse with everyone else essentially being vassals.

So yeah it's about as happy and pleasing as a 40K ending can be lol.

[praguepride]

You bring up a good point about the Inquisitor. The Inquisition does not like people meddling with their stuff and are also trigger happy to declare everyone a heretic and order the exterminatus. If the main Inquisition branch found out what happened and had any doubts about your loyalty then there is no wonder why they'd declare you a heretic secessionist to help cover their tracks.

They pull the same BS in Space Marine where one of their inquisitors goes rogue, your "legendary veteran good guy" astartes puts him down, and then the Inquisition says "well, you must be warp tainted to have been able to do that" and take you for a hundred years of torture and interrogation.

Classic Inquisition :)

[Balekai]

Originally posted by praguepride:

You bring up a good point about the Inquisitor. The Inquisition does not like people meddling with their stuff and are also trigger happy to declare everyone a heretic and order the exterminatus. If the main Inquisition branch found out what happened and had any doubts about your loyalty then there is no wonder why they'd declare you a heretic secessionist to help cover their tracks.

They pull the same BS in Space Marine where one of their inquisitors goes rogue, your "legendary veteran good guy" astartes puts him down, and then the Inquisition says "well, you must be warp tainted to have been able to do that" and take you for a hundred years of torture and interrogation.

Classic Inquisition :)

Yep very true. They're definitely the Immune system of the Imperial Creed over the Imperium overall, and will destroy anything that threatens the Creed or more importantly, the Inquisition's reputation/actions which they think are all one in the same lol.

They remind me of a 40K version of a super corrupt intelligence agency that acts as a Shadow Government. Well that's exactly what they are actually.

Like I mentioned If it was found out throughout the Imperium that a High Inquisitor was trying to free a pinnacle Xenos god-like entity, that's a problem the Inquisition and possibly seen as an attempt by them to replace the Emperor with a Xenos saviour/god. Especially if it was sanctioned by the Inquisition proper. The sole persons and things remaining that know of the conspiracy in the icono ending, are the RT, their entourage, Valancius databanks, possibly Chorda if she joins you, and Nomos itself.

Which means the Expanse would need to be purged of all that "HERESY!" Better to start such a campaign right away before news has a chance to escape the Expanse. Like the weakening of the Great Rift happening as the Warp Storms start to subside in many parts of the Galaxy over time. Not only could you see a powerful Iconoclast Empire emerge from it like a Tau Empire, but with the power of a C'Tan Star God behind it (even though it's a benevolent pacifist tree hugger in this ending... mostly), in addtion to being armed with the knowledge to shake the foundations of the Imperium and Inquisitional power.