Changes

The '''Old Ones''' were an ancient reptilian{{Fn|7}} space-faring race who had an advanced civilisation before the development of the Young Races in the current age. They are notable for being the first of all the galaxy's sentient life{{Fn|6a}} as well as being the first race to cross the sea of stars, making them the oldest space-faring species in the galaxy.

==History==

The Old Ones are said to have had a slow, cold-blooded wisdom, studying the stars and raising astrology and astronomy to an arcane science. It was their understanding of the universe that allowed them to manipulate alternate dimensions and it was known that they undertook great works of psychic engineering.{{Fn|1b}} At some unknown point, they crafted the [[Webway]] to serve as a conduit through which they could travel to far-flung worlds without suffering from the tides of the [[Warp]].{{Fn|4}} Such was their advanced science that they had the capacity to cross vast tracts of space with a single step by way of Webway portals and through such means they managed to spread their spawn to many other places. They believed that all life was useful and they are known to have brought about the rise of numerous new species and impregnated thousands of worlds which they made their own.{{Fn|1b}} According to the [[Deceiver]], the Old Ones once waged a war against the race of beings known as the [[C'tan]]. This was a conflict that the C'tan lost and in the aftermath they went into hiding in order to avoid the Old Ones' wrath.{{Fn|6a}}

==The War in Heaven==

Terrible wars were known to have followed this chain of events but all ended with the Necrontyr's inability to vanquish their foes. Despite their advanced technology, they found themselves constantly outmaneuvered by the Old Ones due to their mastery of Webway portals. Eventually, the Necrontyr were pushed back to such an extent that they were considered little more than an irritation to the Old Ones and forced back to the outer dark of the halo stars where they were forgotten. This imprisonment lasted for centuries. As they sought to find a suitable weapon to unleash against their foes, the Necrontyr began to study their sun, whereupon they discovered ancient entities that resided on them. These they made manifest and named C'tan, or star-gods in their language, and used them as their new weapon against the Old Ones.{{Fn|1b}} Through the C'tan, the Necrontyr were transformed into a cold machine race of beings that became known as the [[Necron]]s. They were now free to pursue their vengeance against their ancient foes. This time, the conflict was far different from the previous wars as the Old Ones' mastery of the [[Warp]] was now countered by the C'tan's supremacy of the material universe. In time, the C'tan began to dominate the galaxy whilst the Old Ones' bastions were besieged and their nurtured races were fed upon like cattle by the eternal hunger of the star-gods. Entire worlds were razed, suns extinguished and entire star systems devoured whole by the terrible C'tan.{{Fn|1b}}

**{{Endn|6b}}: pg. 59

*{{Endn|7}}: [[The Infinite and the Divine (Novel)]] Chapter 3

===Uncited===

*[[Liber Chaotica]]

*[[Codex Titanicus]] (1989, 1st edition), pg. 33

[[Category:Extinct Species]]

[[Category:Minor Alien Species and Factions]]

[[Category:Pre-Imperial Times]]

[[de:Die Alten]]

[[fr:Les Anciens]]