Doclector said:
Little side note/question here for all the people saying to finally kill the emperor, isn't he kinda part of the established way of warp travel/navigation?
Soviet Heavy said:
Before he was beaten to a pulp by Horus, the Emperor was working on connecting the Golden Throne to the Eldar Webway, effectively using their channels to bypass the Warp's currents. However, I believe Magnus the Red screwed it up somehow, so the portal didn't work properly.
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Basically billions of psykers are sacrificed to make a huge psychic searchlight that only the Emperor (or an incredibly powerful psychic) can focus the beam (like a lens) and keep it steadily straight.
Back in heresy era the Emperor, knowing the danger of warp travel, was trying to build a conenction to the eldar webway from Earth but magnus broke into it from the raw warp (not knowing what it was, in an attempt to warn the Emperor about Horus) allowing demons inside.
The demons poured into the heart of Terra and many people gave their lives so the gate could be shut again. The gate remains shut as long as someone is on the throne holding it shut psychically.
During the Heresy Mallacor had to take over on the throne for a bit while the Emperor fought Horus and he returned from the experienced drained and aged.
Basically should the Emperor die and stay dead (see rebirth theories) similatiously two things will happen: demons will pour into Terra's capital from the exposed warp gate and the light that makes all travel between stars possible will go out of control.
Ships will be lost in the warp, space travel out of star systems will be impossible, trade will dry up, military forces will be unable to get to planets to defend them, Inquisitors will be unable to root out traitors on a galactic scale,etc
Not to mention that the human race will feel the Emperor's death, psykers will be driven mad and demons will manifest from all the chaotic emotion in the warp (potentially a new chaos god turning Earth into a new Eye of Terror).
The slow death of the human race will become rapid species extinction.