The Luminarchs

"They shall be my Sons, and within them will one day live the hopes of a prosperous universe, and a grateful Humanity. Theirs will be the strength to prevail impossible odds, not only when victory is within sight, not only when success is in reach, but even when it seems truly unattainable, when doom settles like an indomitable shroud. In these times of vile darkness, my ever so Noble children will stand the tallest and shine the brightest of all."
-Attributed to the God Emperor.
The Luminarchs, otherwise known as the "Imperial Demi-Gods", or much more simply as the "Imperial True-Royals", by some scholars, or as the "Archangels" by the followers of The Divinitus Stellar Imperialis, or the "Ravima'lákh" by the Seraphim are the 20 and later 30 Statuesque Sons, and Daughters of The Deus Imperator, Lord of Mankind, and Emperor to The Stellar Imperium. The glorious leaders of the million-strong Imperial War-Hosts. Magnificent, superhuman beings, and the crowning achievement of the Emperor's genetic sciences, and arcane mastery. They are Humanity elevated into the realm of divinity.
Once Intended to be the immortal superhuman generals and proconsuls of his Imperium they would’ve commanded the Imperial War-Hosts in the Emperors Eternal Crusade. Designed to be the perfect generals, warriors and statesmen; made larger, stronger, faster, and smarter than any mortal could ever hope to be. And possessing potent charisma and capable of heroic martial prowess, untouchable by disease, and infallible to the ravages of time and the petty failings of lesser Men.
Each embodied an aspect of Humanity and War; one was the greatest strategist ever known, another the personification of the terror of war, a third the master of the psychic arts, a fourth the greatest practitioner of the arts of siege-craft, and so on. The Luminarchs had been the Emperor's answer to reclaiming all the once lost worlds of Mankind, and welcoming them into His new Imperium.
The Emperor intended to raise His children to be the best military commanders and political leaders in Human history. They would bring the Imperial Dictatum to the rest of the Human-settled galaxy in their father's name, serving as His generals and proconsuls.
But all had been denied when the gestalt superhuman children were spirited away through the Void from the gene-laboratories of the Emperor's Dark Vaults. A massive localized Void rift had been created within the secured dark vaults of the God Emperor's own palace, deep under Terra where the Luminarchs had been gestating.
The gestation pods containing the Emperor's unborn children had been emptied, their contents scattered through the Void to human colony planets long since lost to Mankind during the Long Dark. The Fetal children were ferried through the Void, their physical forms psychically implanted into the wombs of un-pregnant Human mothers across the Materium to be raised upon hostile human worlds still caught in the ravages of the Long Dark.
== History ==
=== The Prometheus Project ===
During the tumultuous era of the late 88th millennium, amidst the Terran Unification Wars, the ambitious Prometheus Project was initiated—a vast scientific endeavor aimed at creating the extraordinary beings known as the Luminarchs. The Emperor, in conjunction with the Alpha Biotech Research Branch of His Imperial Biotechnical Division, delved into the depths of the enigmatic Dark Vaults beneath the Imperial Palace to embark on this ambitious undertaking. 
The precise methods employed by the Emperor to fashion 20 distinct superhuman genomes, using His own ancient and esoteric genetic code as the foundation, remain shrouded in mystery, even to present-day Imperial science. However, it is known that a two-stage process was involved in their creation. Initially, the Emperor extracted a subset of His own DNA, serving as the primordial matrix for a pure and undifferentiated gene-stock template. Subsequently, this pristine Luminarch gene-stock underwent further differentiation, resulting in the emergence of 30 distinct genetic templates that would form the genomes of each individual Luminarch.
Imperial savants and scholars, in their perpetual pursuit of understanding, speculate that the creation of the Luminarchs involved more than mere physical manipulation of genetics. It is postulated that the Emperor harnessed a plethora of arcane techniques derived from psychic sorcery, drawing upon the esoteric knowledge of the Void. These mystic arts were employed to shape and imbue the Luminarchs with their extraordinary abilities and unearthly charisma, bestowing upon them a captivating presence that transcended the boundaries of mortal perception.
However, the true extent and intricacies of these arcane practices and their interplay with genetic manipulation remain elusive, residing within the realm of conjecture and speculation, waiting to be unveiled by future discoveries or the whispered secrets of forgotten lore.
=== The Scattering of The Light ===
The creation of the 20 embryonic children by the Emperor was met with great anticipation and hope. However, the joyous occasion was abruptly shattered when a localized Void rift was formed within the secure depths of the Emperor's Dark Vaults. Through this rift, the gestation pods containing the unborn Luminarchs were shattered and the embryonic Godlings were spirited away, sent hurtling through the unfathomable expanse of the Void to distant human colony planets lost during the Long Dark.
Upon landing on their inherited worlds, the physical forms of the demi-god children underwent a transformative process, psionically inseminated into the mortal wombs of human mothers. These children were then left to be raised in the harsh environments of these hostile human worlds, still ravaged by the effects of the Long Dark.
Despite this devastating setback, the Emperor, ever adaptable, swiftly devised an alternative solution. Utilizing the remaining genetic samples from each of His lost children, He crafted the initial version of the Angelus Progenium, initially referred to as the Proginae Cells, which would later become recognized as the first Generation Inheritance-Helix. These cells, when implanted within the chests of mortal adolescent humans, bestowed upon them many of the physical and mental attributes possessed by each Luminarch.
The Emperor designated His bravest, strongest, and most exceptional human warriors to receive these superhuman forging organs, intending for them to stand as His stalwart companions and the vanguard of the Great Crusade. Thus, the Imperial Legions were born, known as the Angelus Marines, who would serve as the spearhead in the Emperor's Crusade to reconquer the galaxy in the name of humanity under His command.
Although an Angelus warrior could only palely replicate the abilities of their gene-sire, the technique of implanting humans with the additional organ allowed for a form of "mass-production." Whereas the creation of the Emperor's 20 superhuman sons had taken centuries, millions of Angelus Marines could now be engineered and trained within a single Terran decade. This accelerated process ensured a greater number of superhuman warriors to serve the Emperor's cause, bolstering the ranks of the Imperial Legions and fueling the momentum of the Great Crusade.
=== Rediscovery of The Luminarchs ===
As the Interstellar Imperium expanded throughout the Great Crusade, the Emperor harnessed His extraordinary gifts of foresight and precognition, coupled with the psychic bond between the Luminarchs and their Throne Ships, crafted to be intrinsic to them before their births. Through this inbuilt symbiotic connection, He traced the paths through the Void of His wayward children, scattered across the vastness of the galaxy, with the ultimate aim of reuniting them with their respective Imperial Legions.
Each Luminarch held the dual role of Atriarch and Mentor to their Legion, embodying the essence and character of their respective Legions. They served as the wellspring of inspiration, the guiding force behind their Legion's temperament and strategic inclinations. In the Luminarchs, each Legion found the embodiment of their own perfected ideals of warfare. 
The triumphant return of the Luminarchs to their Legions marked the pinnacle of the Emperor's Great Crusade. Thousands, and later hundreds of thousands, of once-independent human-settled worlds were brought under "Imperial Compliance" through the concerted efforts of these reunited Luminarchs and their Imperial Legions.
Like the legendary warriors of ancient Terran mythology, the Luminarchs strode onto the battlefields of the galaxy, their power and influence irresistible. Their very presence commanded awe and respect, instilling unwavering loyalty and inspiring unwavering dedication among their legions.
However, despite their expressed superiority and apparent immortality, the Luminarchs were not immune to the flaws inherent in their human nature. They too exhibited traits that have plagued mankind since its inception—jealousy and arrogance, a propensity for fierce competition, and a willingness to harbor grudges against one another and even against their father, the Emperor.
Yet, it was precisely this intrinsic humanity, with all its imperfections, that rendered these demi-gods as the ultimate leaders of mankind during the early era of conquest and unity. Their relatability and shared human experiences allowed them to connect with their legions on a profound level. They understood the trials and tribulations of the human condition, and it was through this shared empathy that they could effectively guide and lead their legions towards a brighter future.
=== Order of Rediscovery of The Luminarchs ===
The following is a definitive list of the order in which the Luminarchs had been rediscovered by either the Emperor of Mankind or fellow Luminarchs during the Great Crusade starting in early. 980.M91 with the rediscovery of Llucerian the First Born and First found.
Please bear in mind that there is a stark difference in time between when a Luminarch would be officially rediscovered, and when they were officially introduced to the wider Imperium, or when the Luminarch would've took command of his/her Legion.
== The Luminarchs ==
Legion Number	Luminarch 	Legion Cognomen 	Homeworld 	Order of Discovery	Year of Discovery	Portrait
Ist 	Llucerian Morningstar 	The Sons of The Morning 	[Lecarro] 	1 	M90-777 	
IInd 	Valerius Messor Theophylact 	The Avenging Shields 	[Rillevis] 	4 	M90-832 	
IIIrd 	Asadullah bin Sayf 	The Scarlet Lions 	[Alleuruta] 	5 	M90-842 	
IVth 	Aldrynth Cayndos 	The Hierophants of Fire 	[DATA EXPUNGED]	2 	M90-810 	
Vth 	Shaka Zawadi Chumani 	The Askari Blacks 	[Lesothwyn] 	14 	M90-954 	
VIth 	Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua	The Carcharodon Sons 	[Aotearoa] 	6 	M90-844 	
VIIth 	Anikanov Zakharik 	The Storm Raptors 	[Yerkirii] 	10 	M90-874 	
VIIIth 	Drotti Selwyn Jaeger 	Scythes of Lazarus 	[Ritter] 	9 	M90-866 	
IXth 	Anpu Symt Khener 	Dune Wardens 	[Ne'phesa III] 	16 	M90-975 	
Xth 	Mannix Godwyn III 	The Imperial Harbingers 	[Chthonia] 	8 	M90-850 	
XIth 	Ruadhán O'Sullivan 	The Viridian Order 	[Inisfáil] 	11 	M90-894 	
XIIth 	Serafina Alaric 	The Nightfall Daggers 	[Cilnelea] 	17 	M90-982 	
XIIIth 	Orestis Neritos 	The Warhounds of Anatelikós	[Anatelikós] 	13 	M90-918 	
XIVth 	Sikuqtuq Tikaani Ilisaq 	The Frostwind Hounds 	[Utuu'naq] 	18 	M90-996 	
XVth 	Xann Vakosa 	Legio Corvorum Mortis 	[Astraeus] 	7 	M90-849 	
XVIth 	Guillermo Acin Ricard 	The Errant Sons of Ademar 	[Ademar] 	15 	M90-967 	
XVIIth 	Aesmedon Rinallis 	The Bulls Palatine 	[Kerivaltas] 	12 	M90-892 	
XVIIIth 	Borakhutai Shogun 	The Astral Marauders 	[Lú VI] 	3 	M90-823 	
XIXth 	Radenai Khan 	The Stormwrath Scions 	[Lú VI] 	3 	M90-823 	
XXth 	Viscardi Ingral 	The Iohiran Kinship 	[Iohiri] 	19 	M91-067 	
Category:Imperium
Category:Luminarch