A new Old Chapter - Level 3

So, this is where I would focus on Gundam, lest I be distracted by the Goku v Superman thing.
But there's another. And I feel like, when it comes to building a bridge between "the worldly" Nerd and the Mormon type, this might just be the best. Like, for the whole family. So, come with me on a journey where meet lovely Characters such as Nurgle.

And I mean it. The whole family. I mean, when I was a child I was drawn to this book. It was bound in some sort of leather with embossing - white leather - and in it were images of the Revelation of John. Beautiful images. I certainly wasn't old enough to understand a thing, but it was kind of magical to me. And I'm sure that this isn't just me. I mean, I'm quite positive that at the heart of it is something that deeply shapes Christianity.

And growing up as seventh day adventist, I learned to know it as "fear of the world". It wasn't a concept I feel like I was indoctrinated with, given how much leeway we had in terms of what we were allowed to watch and play with compared to other, stricter households.
But yea, honestly, I always felt superior for being a Nintendo/Street Fighter kid ... compared to Sega/Mortal Kombat kids.

But yea. Alas. We actually weren't allowed to play Street Fighter. Or Doom, later down the timeline.
So, I guess from that strict perspective, I was like ... left somewhere to the corruption. It must seem. Like, where I say that I actually was raised by the Media ... Entertainment Media to be more specific. But, I still had that. Instead of seeing the world at large as bad, I focused on something within it. Sega/Mortal Kombat for instance. Call of Duty. Fortnite. Well, at some point ... . I'm older than 40, and I kind of have to get used to it.
Anyway ... so, I feel like I owe everyone some ... display of ... does that work in this context or am I getting things mixed up? Well, a revelation then ... I guess.

I mean, I feel a bit torn. Yesterday I went sitting in the park, getting high, bathing in the sun, some all natural ice tea (lemon-raspberry) with a pen and some paper. I 'touched grass' ... and felt like I had to do some "Klartext" about all "the Sex stuff" - and this is similar. Like, my mind went elsewhere, I was in a somber mood and all of a sudden I wrote a harmless sentence that shook me like it'd be the source of an argument.

In the moment I see clear context. In hindsight I have difficulties recalling the details.
So ... it is what it is.
Even just from moment to moment.
Yea, things getting lost in the haze ...

So I come home and I don't feel like ... any of it even matters.
Well ...


So, to bridge a gap in this sense to me means, well ... welcome to the world of: "Warhammer 40k".


Now, I'm not too too familiar with it. Like, I don't own any Warhammer figures. I'm only second handing the hobby via YouTube.
So, I watched some Lore videos, some tournament play; And in how it overlaps with Gunpla there's the whole painting thing. So, there's a parallel to Gunpla. And it continues as the main focus would be on the Lore. Or so, whatever there is in terms of Lore. For Gunpla that's Manga and Anime - and for Warhammer that's ... Lore Videos for you ain't getting me to read any of those books!

I mean, first I'd have to come around to reading Terry Pratchett. That's like ... the thing "I'm told" is really good - that I do want to know more about but ... I know from the things that I'm into ... that ... not all puddles in the ocean are shallow.

But so, alas, when it comes to the scale of ... the Apocalypse of John ... Warhammer is a pretty good foil to that. And I have to say that I can't vouch for whatever the various inventors of the various bits and pieces are into. But that's not what this is about.

Warhammer is always explained as "everything sucks, everything is fucked". That's however the catchline, the one sentence to put it all into, goes. And in as far as Art can be inspiring, it may also have the potential to be a prophecy. I'm sure there ... OK, let's not get sidetracked here.

But it kind of matters.

The thing is, there's humanity in Warhammer. And it also falls under the same theme. So, there are various factions. Each of them a horror story in and of itself. So, enemies of the Imperium of Mankind. But Mankind in all of that is no better. And however many excuses one could spin up, I'm sure could also be spun up for the rest. I in fact will do so for the Eldar and the Chaos Gods. But not today.

That however are the beats I need for "my little Bridge project" here. We cen certainly also talk about the Emperor ... but that's not important here. And I'm not sure if we really could talk. I mean, I'm no expert. All I have are my impressions from people talking about it.
So, what I mean is that I have some thoughts I could iterate on, ...
uhm ... anyway ...


So, yea. There's this flux ??? or interference ... as, for how Warhammer matters culturally right now. In actuality versus what any one person might perceive. But ... uhm.
At the heart of it is an interpretation. An interpretation I have "disagreements" with. Which is to say that it's not how I like to see it.


But so. To the topic. In parallel, there's the whole Dungeons and Dragons thing also. The "Satanic Panic" as it were. And this "revelation" ought to be about ... how all of it isn't as bad as you think it is.
Oh, yea. It's like ... I appear like a dragon while I'm not distancing myself from certain things ... and I'm here to say: Well, I AM a dragon! but not THE dragon ... you are actually afraid of.


So, I guess the only way to get through this is straight. So, do your own deep dives at your own leisure, here's my interpretation - as structured for the Christian audience to highlight it's uh ... "Gnostic Complexions" (Gnostic Complexion: Something that naturally occurs. The natural sciences are probably THE best example):


[potbreak]
If "gay" as is used in terms of "unmanly" simply refers to 'soft' because of 'joy' - then Warhammer is NOT that. The pivotal power fantasy within Warhammer is carried by the Space Marines. Super Soldiers that are basically bolted into their power armor and they don't have to sleep. I'm sure they couldn't, even if they wanted to, be soft. Though, I'm not entirely sure about that one particular aspect. I'm sure it'd be too soft to even think of. So, it has no place.
They only place I think you'll find anything even close to it, outside of the fantasy world itself (because, yea, duh - and everything is horrible), is with Slaanesh. Which brings me straight to the ... uh ... elephant in the room?


So, Slaanesh is one of four entities generally referred to as "the Chaos Gods". It sounds like that's what a Satanic invention of sorts would say. And there sure is that ... 'aspect' to it. But ... if you think straight ... and you know God is God ... then you're not suddenly going to change your mind just from playing Warhammer. Or reading a book. Or such. But ... yea. The whole thing with the Key ... and it's relationship with ... feelings ... I get that there's an evil side to it. But the Bible has the same side to it. Including, probably, whatever it is that has kept Christianity from finding unity.

So, the Chaos Gods may resemble this idea of an Evil God. In the world of Warhammer it may be God, but actually it's Hell because of course it is this is Warhammer are you kidding me?!
It has nothing to do with God, it's just a construct. "What if everything is just fucked?". Why? Well, it's a war game!

It is what it is.
Maybe one in many ... among the ranks of inevitabilities. I mean, that's another thing. I think that some people believe it. And why not? I mean ... whenever a new medium is discovered, people end up playing with it. And inevitably art will come from it. And inevitably some will stand out from the rest. And yet, how could we tell ... if some of it ... is just too good ... to be just so?

Well. With Warhammer it's certainly hard to tell. To tell a true epic, you inevitably end up with the worse and the best ... which within the setting of a war game has to be the theme for every faction. Well, arguably. It ... is logical. So, maybe therefore it followed.

So, the Chaos Gods occupy this thing called the Warp. It's described as a parallel dimension that can in fact be used to travel great distances through space. But it also fuels psychic powers. And that aspect of it ... well, "goes to show" that there's more to it.
Emotions, but also concepts ... acts of the mind, fuel the Chaos Gods. So, in a world where everything is horrible because it's a war game, Karn for instance, the Blood God, is a really beefed up presence in the warp. It's like ... a reflection of the sins of the world. Or in the ultimate idea: It is an Order to the Chaos that is "the Real World". Like, Zeentch (or however the fuck) actually kind of starts to make sense. I mean, I can see it ... as a fiction.


So, there's this thing called the Horus heresy. And actually ... to me, that whole thing is a legit piece of art. Well, it's actually ... I'd say ... inspired by Gnostic Scripture. Maybe unwhittlingly so.
But yea. It all starts with the Emperors decree that "there are no Gods". Like, he's the uber Atheist. But that was a lie. Because the Chaos Gods exist. And that created the schism that led to his Son Horus leading an uprising against him. This pale telling doesn't really give it the credit it deserves. I mean, I suppose the credit mostly goes to the set-pieces, with the story being what draws it all together. Anyhow ...
But Horus didn't simply rebel. As the story goes, he fell to the Chaos.

So, Space Marines that joined the Chaos are known as Chaos Marines.


Now, when it comes to the art - and criticism about it - the story is that of mankind. Mankind, as the soil tells the story, is intrinsically wired to the presence of tools. That's because our ancestors - in the evolutionary understanding - already had that going for themselves.
What man has been doing with tools ... well, we could call it controversial or problematic and that would definitely not be wrong but it would certainly also be too much to just cancel tools.


Anyhow. So - neat little story? Well. Sorry. I'm more in a holliday/do-nothing mood right now, so ... I don't want to overdo it. Which means, I have to keep this short.
So, Warhammer seemed to be a good way to do it.


The bottom line ... I think ought to be ... firstly about fear. In the first place to say that there's nothing to fear here, and in the second maybe to spark a sense of appreciation. If it's nothing for you ... that's fine!

But uhm, yea.