I still hold that so much chaos influence will result in all necron tomb worlds online.. and then my 'crons would wipe the slate clean XD
But on a different note, should the astronomicon ever go offline, then the nids won't be swarming towards the center... maybe would even stop sending their fleets... but that just a thought...
Thing is though, messages take an incredibly long time to get anywhere. The Emperor could die any time now and nobody would likely realise. A lack of contact with the Astronomicon could be due to warp storms etc. Nobody outside of a few lightyears might discover his demise for a very long time. Additionally it's not like anyone would dare put out a broadcast openly for fear of the repurcussions.
Odds are humanity would isolate and withdraw back to its little corner where possible. Anything that got cut off would probably isolate and try to communicate with nearby systems. There is still space travel but without clear navigation and the warp they would need to use alternative measures, perhaps similar to Tau technology which just skims the warp for a boost. So perhaps colonies of human would advance and develop to form their own groups. Already some sectors do actually have discussions with xenos and make alliances. With the Imperium likely unable to police the human worlds, they would be free to pursue their own agenda. Many worlds though would likely fall to chaos or other alien incursion.
Terra itself and the surviving Imperium would probably continue to decay. Period of mass mourning, still nobody understanding technology...
The Nids, agreed without the light which drew them in originally, some more of them may choose to leave. Alternatively though many might continue. There are still human worlds rich in resources for them to feed upon, undefended etc.
Interesting debate. Here are my thoughts.
In Rogue Trader, Elseway Charts allow travel without the Astronomicon. They are capable of being created today, but are rare due to agreements with the Navigator houses. My group has a sizable collection, and just founded a Cartographer's Guild to start copying them. Their goal is to have enough to outfit every ship and spares for their allies in case something happens to the Astronomicon or warp storms make it impossible to see. They are a bit tricky, but not dangerously difficult to use. They would be an option for smaller areas of space. I could also see Navigators acting like the old Mississippi pilots, each owning a small route using their charts and switching out when you leave their area of space. I am not sure if it would actually be slower or faster, as I believe the charts can give you a bonus to your main Navigation check.
In Rogue Trader there is an Archeotech device called a Void Abacus that allows warp naviation without a navigator. Being that it is a Dark Age of Technology device it was obviously capable of operating without the Astronomicon. It is limited to 5-10 days jumps though. The Navigator Houses ruthlessly supress it, but it exists and I imagine that the Mechanicum uses them for missions they want to stay hidden. In an emergency, study of such a device might eventually yield some helpful answers.
An Astropath can generate a smaller version of the Astronomicon that can be seen for light years. This would allow local travel, and could be used by a group of worlds to create a series of beacons that you could navigate by. Of course, if the Emperor dies what happens to the Astropaths who are soul bonded to him??? If he ascends, do they die or are they empowered? If he just dies, do they? This option depends on that answer. Either way, they would all likely know of his death/rebirth/ascention as it happened. It would be very hard to keep that information secret, especially if they all died.
Inequity has a 'Dark Astronomicon' that pirates use to find it fed on souls and run by daemonettes. Such an option could be expanded for Chaos.
As far as the Nids, they might lose their focus to head towards Terra and just start jumping from high biomass world to high biomass world. It would actually make them less predictable, and therefore more dangerous.
As far as the Nids, they might lose their focus to head towards Terra and just start jumping from high biomass world to high biomass world. It would actually make them less predictable, and therefore more dangerous.
Well, from my understanding, the 'Nids aren't predictable at all.. and does sometimes skip certain worlds (though i believe that it is hinted that it might because they aviod necron tombworlds, at least in the old codex).. besides, they more or less are coming from all sides... That said, Robbed of the beacon, the nids might have touble bringing in new hive fleets (not that they don't have plenty XD)
On a different note... If the nids come from a far away place where they have harvested all biomatter and are feeding on itself, and sunligth (or something like that) but couldn't move to new places... then suddenly see a bright light where there re new food, could the 'nids just be going for the Emperor, so that they could learn how to make such psychic beacons so their conquest could spread further? or why are they so interested in the astronomicon?
Been working on a system I call 1AE (After Emperor) for some years now. I'm a huge fan of the 40K story (even more than the setting). So, the prospect of advancing it in a post-apocalyptic way has always appealed to me.
I read some texts (sorry, I don't have the source for what I say, but you do what you want about it) that speaks about using stable warp routes that are charted. Using these routes do not need the use of the Navigators. With navigators, you can go all the way you want (but there are dangerous places, so the navigators try to use stable places, but can't be lost because of the beacon).
Otherwise, I've read many times about navigators and psykers that could use the Eye of Terror as such a beacon, but it was "risky for the soul" so yeah, it's possible to do effectively without the astronomican, but the astronomican (except the eldar's webway) is the safest way to navigate the warp.
For the Hive Worlds' survival; it is also written in many texts that they work principaly on recycling foods and stuff. We took for granted that hive worlds can't survive without exterior help because of a few populare examples.
Big loooong thread so, not read it all and sorry if I repeat stuff...
1. Abaddon´s 13th Crusade is prophesied to be the end of the Imperium of Man.
2. And old "theory" which circled back in 1st and 2nd edition of 40k was that of the Star Child. What is in the Golden Throne is just a remnant of the Emperor, the rest of his power gestates in the Warp waiting to be reborn. Should the physical form of the Emperor finally be destroyed the Emperor will be reborn.
3. As for other potential "leaders" of the Empire of Man should the Emperor bite the dust. Leman Russ is probably still running around barking at cars and howling at the moon somewhere. Rowboat Girlyman could come back somehow as well, though if he is just Alpharius in disguise, who knows... no way Girlyman actually killed the real Alpharius though... Adding to that, what are Alpharius and Omegon up to?
Then there are the Sensei, the literal immortal loin children of the Emperor. Maybe one of these end up leading mankind in its darkest hour. Malcador probably was/is one of these.