The Illuminati

The Illuminati is a defunct political group that once consisted of the highest members of the Senatorum Imperialis. They swore loyalty to the Imperium of Andarra, to the values that formed its foundation, so their existence essentially undermines the late emperor Karl Franz's egalitarianism.

For most of its existence, the group operated in secret, scheming, watching the emperor's every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Eventually, that time came when the emperor passed the controversial Xenos Act, an act that deeply angered the conservative population of the Imperium. Protests broke out all over the Imperium, but it was the Trissia Incident that marked the definitive start of the Imperium's downward spiral to civil war. The Illuminati emerged from the shadows and declared itself the legitimate heirs to the throne, thus sparking the Gothic Revolt.

General Understanding
The Illuminati differs greatly from other groups in that it was a secret organisation consisting of the higher echelons of Imperial society. It had members from the Adeptus Adminstratum, and rumours even state that a Spartan had joined the organisation during its formative years. Regardless, the most famous members all held the mantle of leadership in each of their respective adepta. These individuals are Lord Commander Ravensburg of the Adeptus Militarum, High Marshall Epathus of the Adeptus Administraum, and Ecclesiarch Titus of the Adeptus Ministorum. So far, Imperial scholars have been unable to pinpoint the exact date of its foundation, though it is generally accepted that the group was founded sometime during Karl Franz's reign.

Fate of the Group
Ultimately, at the twilight of the Gothic Revolt, most of the group's members were killed due to the heroic sacrifice of one Grand Admiral Spire, but others did survive. The single spartan was never identified, so it is assumed that the man walks freely amongst the Imperium's loyal citizens to this day. Nevertheless, the survival of a single individual does not mean that others share the same luck. Many of the planets that swore allegiance to the Illuminati faced severe punishment, like a massive increase in Imperial tithes; but one planet, in particular, suffered a punishment so harsh that it was rendered uninhabitable via exterminatus. Former members of the Illuminati were systematically hunted down by members of the Imperial Inquisition and the assassins of the Officio Assassinorum. As a new chapter dawns on the Imperium, the Illuminati was forgotten by the majority of the common citizenry, but some people remember the reason why the group fought the Imperium; and they will never forget it.

Post-Karl
After the death of Karl Franz, the defunct group suddenly gained a lot of traction over its views on Imperial society. Its ideology attracted mainly the conservative elements of Imperial society, and these "new lights" are often vocal with their opinions regarding the state of the Imperium, so much so that its influence has begun to seep into the Senatorum Imperialis, causing a rift that continues to grow with each passing day.

On Xenos
One of the most defining aspect of Karl Franz's reign was his tolerance to Xenos races—a prospect that many conservative elements in the Imperium detested as they believe that humanity is entitled to the stars and that the millions of alien races that inhabit the galaxy are all inferior to the blessed children of the Holy Mother.

On Religion
The Illuminati gave a great amount of effort in portraying their sect of the Church of the Holy Mother as traditional as possible, performing lavish rituals and mass purging of psykers to show their devotion to the God Empress. However, near the end of the Gothic Revolt, there was a shift in their philosophy that fundamentally changed the way they viewed pyskers, and so these so-called "warp-wielders", as the Illuminati called them, were revered as the living manifestation of the Holy Mother's divine will—the same one that she left behind when she mysteriously vanished on board of Galatan's mothership during the waning hours of his Rebellion. Nowadays, followers of the "Orthodox Creed" revere the traditions of old, which includes the worship of Her children, as well as the reverence of psykers.

On Imperial Governance
From the group's creation, they made it very clear that they dislike the rule of the Franz dynasty. They view them as a pest who desecrates the divine position the Holy Mother gave them at the end of Galatan's Rebellion. They seek to establish a government where the Senatorum Imperialis—and, summarily, all adepta of the Adeptus Terra—is in charge of every matter and affair in the Imperium. Essentially, an oligarchy. Nevertheless, they believe that they alone should control the Imperium until the Holy Mother returns from Her pilgrimage in the aether, wherein they will crown her as the one and true Empress of Mankind, for all of eternity.