Whereas life on any Imperial world is harsh and unrelenting, except perhaps for those of High birth who endure more "subtle or insidious" burdens, frontier worlders often stand apart. Frequently, there is no Adeptus Arbites presence on their planets, and
Planetary Governors might only rule from orbit or from another system altogether. As such, frontier denizens must face many threats on their own, from xenos raiders to natural hazards to hostile native species or tectonic instability. These worlds are often newly-discovered, distant from regular traic or trade routes, and settled with incomplete or poor analysis of the planet’s dangers. Many were found by accident, uncovered from ancient Warp charts, or mentioned in the margins of a Rogue Trader's logs. Frontier worlds might instead be locations previously inhabited; many reveal signs of earlier civilisations, ranging from ancient human societies to long-dead alien empires. These remnants of the past might even be the reason for some settlements, or drive explorations to uncover relics from ancient times.
While other citizens of the Imperium might have domestic resources or imports to support themselves, frontier worlders are forced to scrape and scrounge for survival. Many are dependent on, or at least familiar with, Imperial technology, and thus their societies become a mix of refurbished devices and native constructions. This can lead to near-barbaric existences, with tribes of chainaxe wielding renegades attacking settlements for precious Promethium or lasgun sentry arrays guarding isolated homesteads from predatory creatures. Still, frontier worlds always seem to attract new settlers.
Many come to the borders of the Imperium seeking escape from local religious authorities. Some might wish to worship the Emperor through means thought "heretical or deviant"; on a frontier world, they might be able to establish their own sect, and in time perhaps make it the world’s version of the Imperial Creed. "Those whose worship of dark entities would rightfully earn them burning pyres and tortuous deaths also seek their version of religious freedom. Escaping to a world where there are fewer prying eyes or torch-wielding mobs, these cults might conduct their foul rites openly or even establish control over a settlement". Many also might seek out frontier worlds for the lucrative possibilities they offer. There might not be any signs of obvious riches, but there could be xenos relics, useful native species, or even wonders from the Dark Age of Technology all waiting to be uncovered.
Not all frontier worlders have chosen their homes willingly, in search of a better life. Hive populations can be tithed to populate a newly-established world, and entire hab blocks might be stripped bare to begin new lives away from comforting crowds and metal cities. Penal legions could also be used to establish footholds on empty planets, all understanding that their new lives might be grim but still better than certain death on the battlefield.
Existing on the far edges of Imperial Law and often outside the commandments of the Imperial Creed, frontier worlders can develop a "heretically relaxed" attitude towards aliens. Locals wielding xenos weaponry, living in habitats crafted for non-human entities, are common. Some frontier outposts even openly trade with travelling xenos, thus spreading the "taint" of the alien. This acceptance of the "impure" can also extend to mutated humans or "unholy" witches. For frontier worlders, survival requires terrible alliances, with "lives saved at the cost of souls". To live on the fringes is to exist in shadows, and in these shadows heresy breeds.
Frontier World Characters
Living on a frontier world is often an exercise in daily survival: an existence not as extreme as that on a Death World, but still fraught with peril. Those who do survive learn to rely on themselves, but can still go on to act as part of a wider society in the Imperium. Given the scarcity of any clearly worthwhile resources, even raw manpower, most of these planets are tithed at a relatively low grade. Raising new Imperial Guard regiments might only happen once a generation. For many, the only regular contact with the Imperium might be visitations from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and its League of Black Ships. Where proper Imperial oversight or societal watchfulness is lax, unculled Psykers can exist or breed with impunity for years before discovery, giving them time to increase in power and danger. This also is true for those "twisted in body as well as mind, with physical mutants both subtle and gross untamed", especially in wilderness areas.
"Combatting these deviations", missionaries of the Ecclesiarchy often flock to these worlds to bring the faith and fire of the Emperor to those who have "strayed". Many become "martyrs" to their "holy causes", and their offspring may perhaps be called to the Schola Progenium and become excellent Arbitrators on other worlds across the Imperium. Other natives, though, retain their sense of self-reliance and refrain from becoming part of any organisation, living for themselves according to their own code as countless other frontier worlders do each day.