Necron Quotes
This article collects all quotes made by, or about, the Necrons and their star-gods, the C'tan. The quotes themselves are organised in alphabetical order, using the speaker's name. Unattributed quotes are at the end of the list.
Contents
Attributed
Texts
| Tome/Text | Quote | Source |
| The Book of Mournful Night | When the Silent King saw what had been done, he knew at last the true nature of the C'tan, and the doom they had wrought in his name. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Their Name Is Death |
| The Chronicle of Szarekh | They came to us as gods, and we, like fools, took them at their word. Mephet'ran the Deceiver, Aza'gorod the Nightbringer, Iash'uddra the Endless Swarm; I curse their names, and the names of all their malevolent brethren. | White Dwarf 450, pg. 29 |
| Excerpted from the Dogma Ommiastra | That we, in our arrogance, believed that Humankind was first among the races of this galaxy will exposed as folly of the worst kind upon the awakening of these ancient beings. Any hopes, dreams or promises of salvation are naught but dust in the wind. | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 18 |
| Inscription transcribed from the walls of Cthelmax | Death stands above me, whispering low
I know not what in my ear Of his strange language all I know There is only pain and fear. |
Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 19 |
| Excerpted from the Necron codes of battle | Strike directly at your adversary only when a formal declaration has been made. Victory without honour is worth nothing. | White Dwarf May 2012, p. 84 |
A
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Anrakyr the Traveller | Cast off the shackles of your slumber! The galaxy shall be ours once again! | FFG Teaser for "Legions of Death", supplement for Conquest Card Game (last accessed 20 April 2016) |
| Our people are awakening, and soon all of the galaxy shall be ours once more. | FFG Teaser for "Legions of Death", supplement for Conquest Card Game (last accessed 20 April 2016) | |
| Though it may take an eternity, I will see the myriad dynasties united once more. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Anrakyr the Traveller | |
| Commander Zander At'lan, Tallarn 115th Armoured Regiment | Nothing clears a battlefield like a Deathstrike missile. Wait. Is something moving out there? | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Sautekh Immortal |
B
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Paullian Blantar, Iron-Father of the Kaargul Clan, Iron Hands Chapter | The Machine is strong. We must purge the weak, hated flesh and replace it with the blessed purity of metal. Only through permanence can we truly triumph, only through the Machine can we find victory. Punish the flesh. Iron in mind and body. Hail the Machine! | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 2 |
C
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Adept Corteswain | We are born for a darker purpose than that of mere existence. There will come a time when stygian night never ends, where dead stars will spread before us like islands that slumber on the ocean, and when the beings that hid like shadows will feed on us forever. - at the Omniastery of Selethoth, shortly before his disappearance |
Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 51 |
D
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Tech-Priest Darvin, executed for heresy 1256998.M41 | The ancient Necron race has achieved this pinnacle of elegance through their relentless pursuit of utility. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Gilded Lotus |
F
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Brother Fenrik Red-Eye of the Deathwatch | There are shrivelled things laying in cold tombs far below the surface of dead worlds that once bestrode the galaxy. And there are those who by their deeds would awaken such creatures. Not on my watch... | Deathwatch Core Rulebook , pg. 316, Rise of the Ancients |
G
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Commissar Gadholm | It’s a lifeless ruin of some long-lost race. What is there to fear' | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Unstable Obelisk |
| Inquisitor Greyfax | Witchcraft or technology, it is blasphemous, and it must be stopped. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Technomancer |
H
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Inquisitor Hoth | That man is beset at all quarters by traitors, mutants and fiends is self-evident. But in truth none of these evils shall be our undoing.
When the end comes it will be not at the hand of any mortal being of this or any other realm: death will come at the hands of the ancients, those who determined our fate aeons before we stood erect upon the holy ground of Terra and gazed up into the starry night. |
Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 66 |
I
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Imotekh the Stormlord, Phaeron of the Sautekh Dynasty | Order. Unity. Obedience. We taught the galaxy these things long ago, and we will do so again. | FFG Teaser for "Legions of Death", supplement for Conquest Card Game (last accessed 17 May 2016) |
| One must always judge a general by the calibre of their enemies. One who subjugates and overthrows only those who fall easily beneath the blade is either a base braggart, a coward or a mindless drudge. But a warlord who sets themselves against truly formidable foes, shall you not find in them conqueror worthy of the title? - Imotekh to the delegation of Triarchal Praetorians |
Crusade: Pariah Nexus, pg. 53 | |
| I have heard the rumours of the Silent King's return. They are risible and unworthy of a real ruler. Creeping through the darkness, playing shadow games through puppets - no true king acts this way. And if the tales are true, then he will learn his time is long since over. | White Dwarf 450, pg. 30 | |
| Lord Magister Ithax Stroam, Terra | Ha! The Imperium is a big place, my boy. The universe is always unleashing some new catastrophe, some marauding race. Hundreds of worlds die, but millions more prosper. It matters not. Nothing can truly hurt us here. | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 11 |
K
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Inquisitor Kessel | We are less than cattle to these beings, chattel to be cast aside, consumed or made sport with for their pleasure. There is not one amongst them that would pay heed to a world of Man as I would to an ant on my boot. - at the Conclave of Eidolon |
Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 27 |
| Lieutenant Krakos, prior to the Bloodmoon Massacres | Pray that night is upon us, for if this twilight is the work of the Necrons, we are all dead men. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Go for the Throat |
L
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Farseer Lsathranil from Ulthanesh Shelwé | The banshee's call shall wake the Dead; when dark portents wax nigh
Heed them as the counsel of a Seer, or a father The Yngir, who have slept since the birth of Chaos Shall crawl once more from their tombs, thirsting for warmth. The War in Heaven shall be as nothing to their vengeance For the sons of Asuryan, few in number, cannot stand against them. And the Eye of Isha shall dim, closing for eternity Such a gentle goddess cannot witness such atrocities as they shall wreak. The soulless ones shall be the harbingers of the dark fate Then shall come the living dead, the progeny Then the thirsting ones, The forever damned And the galaxy shall run red as the blood of Eldanesh, The Vaul-moon shall bring forth the Dragon The Master of Death will drink deep from Isha's Eye That Which Lies Outside will be drawn to the harvest And the Jackal-God shall turn brother against brother. The four shall take their place amongst the stars, Their legions ascendant, unstoppable as the night A deadly shroud shall fall across the spirit And the galaxy shall mourn |
Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 5 |
M
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Tomas Macabee, Necron Pariah | Existentialism is possibly the most onerous imposition of life. The need to ask why, to find some explanation. Nevertheless, despite the perfections granted me, I remain a living man and so must suffer under the cacophony of questions in my brain. And so I send out this final message to attempt to answer some of the questions you will have.
Why did I lead my fellows to their doom here on this arid plateau? Why have I submitted myself to the power of the immortal creatures who have risen from its sands? How could I, a respected scientist and prominent citizen, turn my back on the civilization that has given me so much? The answer is simple. I have done everything in the name of purity. Before my memories and emotions were reassembled in this more perfect form some fifteen cycles ago, I had spent a human lifetime studying civilization in all its forms. The sum of my work can be put thus: all life exists in discord. War and strife affect all known societies and all species spend their existences competing with others for limited resources. From the cries of an infant for the maternal teat to the wretched stench of the aged dying in their own filth, life is a series of squabbles and ugly messes. There is an alternative. There exists a state in which all conflict is resolved and all is cold and silent. There are no wants, no wars, no squabbles. You may call this state death if you wish, but that is a misnomer. Death is but the ending of life, and that is only a means to an end. That end is purity, the time when all is still and unchanging. Our universe began in purity and it will return to that blessed state. Hastening that return is the great work of the perfected beings I have awoken and who have made me their own. You have tried to undo our great work. You have spread your vile, unclean selves across the galaxy, making a mockery of the beautiful silence we had wrought. It was all in vain. Rejoice, for we have returned and your days are at an end. |
Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, entry for Thur'Abis Plateau  Classics
|
| Lucky creatures. At long last you have found the tranquility of death. I was like you, once, clinging to life and blind to the truth. When I uncovered the truth, I too shuddered and paled with fear. Deep in these catacombs, I was remade. Here, my brethren slumbered for eons while the living grew like weed. My Lord knew this day would come. He had plans for us all. We would purge this world once more. So come, poor victims of life. We will grant you tranquility in these crypts. Kronus will be a Tomb World once more. | Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Classics
| |
| Maechu, Farseer of Ulthwé | They will seek to harvest us at first, for they will be hungry after their long sleep. Then they will turn their efforts to enslaving the survivors. The galaxy will bleed the stench of death into the void, and it will attract the others of their kind. We must choose unity or death. | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 21 |
| Morillia, Harlequin Shadowseer | It was silent as the void, and to look upon it was to know terror. It drifted above us with slow, liquid grace, and its gaze caused madness and despair wherever it fell. those it came near took their own lives rather than endure its hellish presence. | Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 25 |
N
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Nahumekh, Necron Lord of the Sautekh Dynasty | All life will tear itself apart by my command. | FFG Teaser for "Legions of Death", supplement for Conquest Card Game (last accessed 20 April 2016) |
O
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Vargard Obyron pf the Sautekh Dynasty | Only the deathless can truly comprehend the burden of unfailing loyalty. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Lychguard |
S
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Szarekh, the Silent King | While we slept, our inferiors infested the worlds that belong to us. Now, we awaken once more. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Endless Atlas |
| All mortal endeavor is just the universe's futility wearing a mask of self-delusion. | Hammer and Bolter (Animated Series) , ep. 9 - "Artefacts" | |
| Illuminor Szeras | The secrets of the universe are within my grasp. You cannot stop me now. | FFG Teaser for "Searching For Truth", supplement for Conquest Card Game (last accessed 24 April 2016) |
| Immortality is not quite the same as invulnerability, but it is close enough. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Illuminor Szeras | |
| Aza'gorod, the Nightbringer. The embodiment of death. A killer of stars and of worlds. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Illuminor Szeras | |
| Imagine, for a moment, a galaxy in which we are victorious. Picture the spread of the contra-immaterial nodal matrix across world after world until all the known stars burn cold and clean beneath its shroud and the filth of the otherspace is swept away. Now tell me — shall we allow these flesh-shod vermin to deny us that destiny? I think not... -Szeras to the disgraced nobles of Thekmotis after the defeat at Drezsk II |
Crusade: Pariah Nexus , pg. 89 | |
| -This weigher of souls acknowledges the mark you have placed upon these targets. -Souls? You will refrain from such unscientific terminology in my presence. -Szeras in response to a Deathmark's acknowledgement of orders. |
Pariah Nexus (Animated Series) , ep. 1 - A Mark Presented, part III - Weight of Souls |
T
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Lord Traedrekkh of the Sekemtar Dynasty | Scour this world of these impudent trespassers! | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Triarch Stalker |
| Trazyn the Infinite | Rise and serve me once more. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Beacon of Unrest |
| Let the others bicker over their little worlds and stars. I have an empire of knowledge, and it encompasses all others. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Reliquary Tower |
V
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Captain Uriel Ventris | Bolters, flamers, plasma—we hit the xenos with everything, and it just kept coming. | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Dread Return |
Z
| Speaker | Quote | Source |
| Cryptek Zaa of Tomorrow | -Primarch, Zaa? -Their leader, Great One. Like them, but taller, I understand. Not to be underestimated. (Zaa of Tomorrow responding a question posited by Amarkun the Gatherer Overlord of the Nepheru Dynasty) |
Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2, Necron Campaign, Xersia |
Unattributed
| Quote | Notes | Source |
| This galaxy once knelt before us, and it will do so again. | Unknown Necron Overlord | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Necron Overlord |
| You mortals turn to dust in the blink of an eye. I only expedite your fate. | Unknown | Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Warhammer 40,000 - Mutilate |
| Intruder Know that your fleet now orbits a world upon which you have no claim. Akynatos is the property of the Sautekh Dynasty, ruled by His Immortal Majesty Imotekh of Mandragora. There is no room in its barren heart for any other liege. This is forbidden ground, and the punishment for trespass is death. Thus is our judgement, and thus is your doom. Yet by ancient code of battle are we forced to extend this offer: depart, and you may yet live long and fulfilled lives ere our emissaries find you once again. Remain, unbidden and unwanted, and you will suffer such agonies that even your gilded deity will turn his gaze aside in horror at your plight. Choose your fate, and choose it wisely. Die today, cloaked in hubris, or die years hence, bearing the coward's mantle. We care not. Accept your fate. |
Incoming transmission to Imperial or Explorator fleet after geostationary orbit is established above Akynatos. | White Dwarf May 2012 , pg. 1 |
