All the Warhammer 40K lore you need to know for Rogue Trader

polygon.com:

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader takes place in a frontier system on the edges of the Imperium of Man, and it dives deep into this small slice of a vast galaxy. Owlcat Games has used the vast and expansive lore of 40K to help make the Koronus Expanse a compelling and fascinating place to explore, but if you’re not familiar with the broader setting, it can be a touch confusing.

There are in-game measures in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader meant to help new players catch up: Certain phrases are highlighted, and hovering over them provides the definition, plus there’s also an in-game encyclopedia. But if you want to hit the ground running, here’s the lore you need to know to be at home in Rogue Trader right away.

Humanity is united under one banner in the universe of 40K: the Imperium of Man. The Imperium is a brutal and cruel regime, built around worship of the God-Emperor of Mankind, who rests upon a Golden Throne. The God-Emperor maintains the Astronomicon, the lighthouse that lets ships safely travel through the void. Every element of the Imperium is built around the Emperor, from the religious Ecclesiarchy to the bureaucratic Administratum.

The Imperium of Man is a society built around fear, hatred, and oppression of the witch, the heretic, and the mutant. What’s more, The Imperium has the firepower to back up these inclinations, thanks to the Imperial Navy and Guard, the Ecclesiarchy’s Sisters of Battle, and of course the setting’s iconic Space Marines.

Rogue Traders are extremely powerful captains who explore the frontiers of Imperium space. They are free from the Imperium’s crushing laws in a way only a rare few get to enjoy. They can trade with xenos, chart new worlds, and even enjoy a little bit of heresy, as a