Illuminati (Warhammer 40,000)

In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Illuminati are a subset of humanity, defined by having survived possession by a WarP entity. They are special because their possession leaves them with a unique understanding of the warp and warp entities. Also, the Illuminati are among the few allowed to enter the fabled Black Library, the Eldar race's repository of knowledge of Chaos.

The Illuminati were first introduced in the supplements to the original Warhammer 40,000 game, Rogue Trader and in the late 80's rulebook set "Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness" and "Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the [...]". It is uncertain where they stand in the present chronology of the game, or even if they are a part of it at all. As the Illuminati plot thread was linked to the Starchild/Sensei storyline, publisher GamesWorkshop may have abandoned the Illuminati storyline as the Starchild/Sensei plot was written off as yet another manipulation of Chaos God Tzeentch (in the 3rd EDition rulebook).