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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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{{NecronsPortal}}
[[Image:NecronArt.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Necrons rise{{Fn|1d}}]]
The '''Necrons''' are a race of mechanical warriors, created from the [[Necrontyr]]. They have [[Great Sleep|lain dormant]] in their [[Stasis-Crypt|stasis-tombs]] for sixty million years.{{Fn|8a}} They are ancient beyond reckoning, pre-dating even the [[Eldar]]. At long last, however, they are beginning to awaken, seeking to reestablish the supremacy of the [[Necron Dynasty|Necron Dynasties]] over the [[Galaxy]] once more.{{Fn|4a}} The domain of the Necrons is known to themselves as the '''[[Infinite Empire]]'''{{Fn|17a}} or '''Necron Star Empire'''.{{Fn|58b56b}} Currently, the conquered territories of the Necrons equals about a quarter of that of the spatial extent of the [[Imperium]].{{Fn|58a56a}}
==History==
====Beginnings====
*{{Main|Necrontyr}}
There are primitive artworks and tribal mythologies that speak of a xenos civilisation{{Fn|18a}} that existed billions of years before humans originated on Terra.{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|39a9c}}{{Fn|45a}} This ancient race was known as the Necrontyr.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|18a9c}}{{Fn|39a18a}} They lived precariously, facing solar winds and radiation storms{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|39a9c}} that kept their lives constantly afflicted by sickness and loss.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|39a9c}} Their cities were built with their short life-spans in mind, as their ancestral tomb complexes greatly outnumbered the living, which were considered little more than temporal residents.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|39a9c}}} Despite their wondrous technologies,{{Fn|18a}} the Necrontyr had not been able to conquer their hereditary biological weakness.{{Fn|1a}} They also desperately sought to conquer other planets with less hostile environments, and eventually their [[Necron Dynasties|Dynasties]] held control over a great part of the galaxy.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|39a9c}}
It was during their military campaigns that the Necrontyr first came into contact with the [[Old Ones]]—one of the first sentient races.{{Fn|1a}} As their empire expanded and grew more diverse, tensions between the Dynasties threatened their unity.{{Fn|4b}} Rebellions known as the '''[[Wars of Secession|First Wars of Secession]]''' erupted as entire realms fought for independence.{{Fn|4b}}{{Fn|4c}} The [[Triarch]]—the ruling council of Necrontyr—realised that only the threat of an external enemy would bring unity once more and saw the [[Old Ones]] as the perfect subjects for the wrath of their race. Already jealous of the Old Ones' seemingly eternal life spans,{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|39a9c}} the Necrontyr initiated hostilities: the separatists abandoned their rebellion, and the [[War in Heaven (Necron)|War in Heaven]] began.{{Fn|4b}}
====The War in Heaven====
The first reported contact between the Necrons and the [[Imperium]] of Man came in 897.[[M41]] during the raid on [[Sanctuary 101]]. The report specifies that the invaders might have emerged from the ground itself.{{Fn|3}}
After the formation of the [[Great Rift]], [[Szarekh]], the [[Silent King]], accelerated his plans by creating the [[Pariah Nexus]].{{Fn|14}} This has proven controversial amongst other dynasties, most notably the [[Sautekh Dynasty|Sautekh]] and their allies. The Sautekh [[Phaeron]], [[Imotekh]], has launched an open revolt against the Silent King's authority as part of the greater [[Pariah Crusade|War in the Pariah Nexus]].{{Fn|5654}}
==Abiology==
Other parts of their bodies/armour include their ''shoulder plate''{{Fn|21}} or ''shoulder guard''.{{Fn|17c}} High-ranking Necrons such as [[Necron Overlord|Overlords]] have ''command nodes'' stemming from their shoulder guards, which convey their orders to their warriors.{{Fn|23a}} Necrons have complex neural matrices installed in their head which contained their cognitive processors, personalities, and memories.{{Fn|17a}} Despite this, skilled Necrons such as [[Trazyn]] can swiftly transfer their consciousness and neural information to new bodies should the present one be destroyed.{{Fn|17a}}
Cognitively, the majority of the Necron race are little more than mindless automatons. Only the nobility and specialist orders such as [[Cryptek]]s possessed enough wealth and status to attain bodies with more advanced cognitive systems that allowed them to retain free will and personality post-[[Biotransference]]. The soldierly were given bodies deemed adequate but possessing simpler minds, with mid-level commanders such as [[Royal Warden]]s expressing an almost childlike personality prone to repetitively performing the same simple tasks.{{Fn|52b50b}} Yet this is still better than the commoners, who were only distributed with crude armoured forms that were little more than prisons into which their now-empty minds were placed. Numb to all joy and experience, they are bound solely to the will of their superiors.{{Fn|9d}} Even Necron children were transferred into fully "adult" bodies and had their minds wiped of all sentience.{{Fn|16a}} Yet aeons of slumbering and various mishaps regarding reawakening protocols have seen some of even the highest ranked [[Necron Overlord]]s succumb to madness and senility. Many have now have eccentric personalities and will pursue their own agendas regardless of how distorted it may be.{{Fn|9e9b}} Further examples of the madness and mental decay sweeping through many of the Necrons can be seen in the [[Flayer Virus]] and [[Destroyer Cult]].{{Fn|8b}}
Necrons possess '''Chronosense''', which allows them to adjust the speed of their perception of time.{{Fn|17b}} This combined with their immortality has made the Necrons ponderously slow to perform many tasks. Legal proceedings and even theatrical performances can often take over a decade.{{Fn|17a}}
All Necrons possess sophisticated auto-repair systems (dubbed '''[[Reanimation Protocols]]''') throughout their exo-skeletal systems that can repair even the most crippling of damage. While this can keep them functioning constantly, should there be irreparable damage sustained, the Necron "phases out".{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|24b}} Both their minds and their bodies are teleported to the nearest tomb complex or orbiting ship where they either remain in storage until repairs are made or a new body is forged. This act does, however, come at a cost as each act of transference leads to a decay in the Necron's engrams. As such, those Necrons that have "died" and phased out hundreds of times suffer the most for they become little more than automatons who have lost the memory of the creature that they used to be in life.{{Fn|2}}
[[Image:NecronHierarchy9th.jpg|thumb|right|275px|[[Necron Dynasty]] hierarchy{{Fn|18b}}]]
[[Image:NecronHierarchy.jpg|thumb|right|Necron [[Tomb World]] hierarchy{{Fn|39b9f}}]]
==Hierarchy==
The Infinite Empire itself is hierarchical. The highest of the Necrons are the [[Phaeron]]s, the ruler of entire [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]] which comprise many worlds. Beneath these are the [[Necron Overlord|Overlords]], who rule clusters of [[Tomb World]]s within their Phaeron's domain. Beneath the Overlords are the [[Necron Lord|Lord]]s, each overseeing a Tomb World. Phaerons and Overlords are served by a '''Royal Court''' of Necron Lords and [[Cryptek]]s. The size of a '''Royal Court''' is not only prestigious, it is also an indication of that military power of the noble who rules it.{{Fn|4f}} Much like those of Humanity, Necron Courts are rife with webs of political intrigue. Below the '''Royal Court''' are the '''War-Phalanxes''' of the Necrons, including [[Necron Warrior]]s (which are the always the core of any Necron legion),{{Fn|25}} [[Immortal]]s, and war engines. Beneath these ranks are auxiliaries more akin to allies than true warriors. These include the [[Necron Destroyer|Destroyer Cult]]s and [[Flayed One]]s. Supporting all this are vast swarms of fully autonomous [[Canoptek]] constructs. And it is at the bottom of this empire that the captive [[C'tan]] endure, shackled and used by their Necron overseers.{{Fn|8b}}
The goals and personalities of the nobles across Necron dynasties vary greatly. Some may be interested in conquest or extermination of lesser races, others may only act defensively if their territory is intruded upon. Others seek to reverse [[Biotransference]]{{Fn|45b}} by using a younger organic race as hosts.{{Fn|9b9e}}{{Fn|24a}} Others such as the [[Destroyer Cult]] have embraced their machine nature and seek to cleanse the galaxy of all life.{{Fn|9c9h}}{{Fn|23b}} It is also not uncommon for Dynasties to battle one another.{{Fn|8b}}
Many Necron Dynasties have not fully emerged from the [[Great Sleep]], or were damaged during their millions of years in hibernation.{{Fn|45a}} The level of awakening of a Dynasty and how intact it endured its slumber often determines its strength and size. The [[Sautekh Dynasty]] for instance, widely regarded as the most powerful Necron Dynasty, emerged from the Great Sleep almost entirely intact.{{Fn|8b}}{{Fn|24b}}
==Technology==
*{{main|Necron Armoury}}
The Necrons are the masters of [[Materium|Material]] technology, and their technological feats may seem magical to lesser races. Their technological masters, [[Cryptek]]s, can manipulate matter at a fundamental level and wield such arcane concepts as phase-gates, subatomic infusion, and temporal looping. Several Necron super-weapons such as the [[World Engine]] and [[Celestial Orrery]] have galaxy-devastating capabilities. However it is [[Living Metal]], or Necrodermis, which equips nearly all Necron technology. These billion-strong swarns of nano-[[Scarab]]s crawl under the skin of Necrons at a cellular level, allowing for self-repair and regeneration.{{Fn|8d}} Also, on particularly rare occasions, a super heavy Necron device called a [[Necron Pylon]] is seen. It is feared for its extreme power and ability to appear anywhere on the battlefield.{{Fn|55a53a}}
Necron rank-and-file troops are equipped with a devastating array of armament, most notably [[Gauss Weapon]]s which strip away a foes atoms layer by layer and give the Necrons a fearsome level of firepower. Their [[grav tank|anti-grav]] warmachines are based around the art of invasion and terror, wielding horrifying energy weaponry and other esoteric abilities such as wormholes.{{Fn|8d}} The Necrons also wield large amounts of non-sentient [[Robot]]s known as [[Canoptek]] constructs, which tended their Tomb Worlds during the Great Sleep.{{Fn|8e}}
The [[Necron fleet]] is a small but deadly force capable of destroying most ships very easily. They also don't make use of the same form of interstellar travel, the Warp, as other races do, making them difficult to intercept.{{Fn|1c}} The Necron Fleet achieves [[FTL]] travel by a variety of means, such as [[Dolmen Gate]]s{{Fn|4d}} and [[Inertialess Drive]].{{Fn|5048}}
The Necrons are known for their [[Blackstone]], a substance which can block the powers of the [[Warp]]. This makes the Necrons anathema to [[Chaos]], and Blackstone has become a precious commodity across the [[Galaxy]].{{Fn|12}} Blackstone most notably was used in the [[Cadian Pylon]]s, which held back the power of the [[Eye of Terror]].{{Fn|13}}
The species are also able to use their technology to create hidden '''[[Sub-dimensional reality bubbles]]''', that lie outside of [[Realspace]] and are connected to [[Tomb World]]s via [[Reality-Tether]]s. They can have strongholds built within them and the dimensions can be designed so only their owners or serving minions can enter or exit them.{{Fn|46}} Their mastery of fundamental physics is also the source of materials such as [[Strangesteel]]{{Fn|5250}} or [[Megaton Matter]],{{Fn|51b49b}} and of the [[Antimatter Collider]].{{Fn|5351}}
Necrons are capable of utilizing instant communication methods, even over massive interstellar distances. Such examples include quantum communication networks{{Fn|5957}} and the [[Pharos]].{{Fn|49a47a}}
==Culture==
While the majority of common Necrons are little more than obedient autonomations, the higher nobility have a complex culture inherited from their days as [[Necrontyr]]. Nobility, honour, loyalty to one's liege and pride in one's hereditary titles are all common amongst the rulers of the Necron race. Loyalty and honour are particularly emphasised to the point that over the long millennia, Necron Lords maintain a labyrinthine web of ranks, titles, and allegiances. Necron honour is usually reserved only for other Necrons, and they will usually disdain from using "distasteful" means in their many inter-dynastic conflicts such as [[Destroyer Cult|Destroyers]], [[Deathmark]]s, or [[Flayed One]]s. This honour has at times even extended to non-Necron races deemed worthy and honourable adversaries. However, more often than not, Necrons deem other races as little more than vermin worthy only of extermination.{{Fn|54a52a}}
There is no set system of ideology amongst the Necron race and their motivations and philosophies will differ greatly from dynasty to dynasty. Some dynasties, like the [[Kastak Dynasty|Kastak]] wish to regain their organic forms while [[Imotekh]], [[Phaeron]] of the powerful [[Sautekh Dynasty]], has embraced the machine bodies of the Necrons as superior.{{Fn|5654}}. Others, such as the [[Szarekhan Dynasty|Szarekhan]] and their allies, follow the [[Silent King]] and seek to achieve Necron domination of the Galaxy.{{Fn|54c52c}} Others such as the [[Maynarkh Dynasty|Maynarkh]] are hyper-violent and seek only to exterminate all organic life{{Fn|55a53a}}, while the [[Nihilakh Dynasty|Nihilakh]] are isolationists that seek to gather treasures and knowledge to themselves.{{Fn|4p}}. Meanwhile, the Necrons under the control of [[Thaszar]] act as pirates and reavers.{{Fn|4r}}
Despite there being little unity amongst the majority of the Necron dynasties, those Necrons that go against their complex codes of loyalty and honour sometimes risk the wrath of [[Triarch Praetorian]]s, which act as enforcers for the [[Silent King]] and Necron race as a whole.{{Fn|54a52a}}
While most Necrons only have flashes of memory to their time as flesh-beings, they still have inherited many of their cultural aspects. This includes epic plays of historical dramas. Since becoming Necrons, the audience of such performances no longer food or sleep, nor do they age. Thus have [[Cryptek]] playwrights constructed ever-longer dramas which now can last for over a decade.{{Fn|17a}} These dramas serve to not only preserve their own history but also serve to combat perhaps the greatest enemy the Necrons now face: boredom over the long millennia.{{Fn|17a}}
For measuring size, the Necrons utilize [[Wikipedia:Cubit|Cubits]]{{Fn|17e}} and [[Wikipedia:Ancient_Egyptian_units_of_measurement|Khet]]{{Fn|5250}}, and for distance they utilize '''Leagues'''.{{Fn|17f}} For measuring levels of energy they use '''Keph'''.{{Fn|17e}}
==Notable Engagements==
[[Image:NecronArt8th.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Necrons battle the [[Eldar]]{{Fn|9a}}]]
[[Image:Necrons9thArt2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Necron constructs{{Fn|10}}]]
*052.[[M40]] - The [[Corewar]]{{Fn|4339}}
*???.[[M41]] - The [[Battle of Fordris]]{{Fn|4g}}
*765.[[M41]] - The [[Fall of Bromoch]]{{Fn|27}}
*999.M41 - The [[Battle of the Boros Gate]]{{Fn|38}}
*999.M41 - The [[Carnac Campaign]]{{Fn|4p}}
*999.M41 - The [[Second Battle of Damnos]]{{Fn|39c9g}}
*???.[[M41]] - The [[Battle of Schrodinger VII]]{{Fn|4p}}
*~???.[[M42]] - The [[Absorption Wars]]{{Fn|40}}
*'''???.[[M42]]''' - The [[Battle for the Orestes System]]{{Fn|16b}}
*'''???.[[M42]]''' - The [[War in the Pariah Nexus]]{{Fn|14}}
**The Necron Civil War before the [[Szarekhan Dynasty]] and its allies and the [[Sautekh Dynasty]] and its allies.{{Fn|5654}}
*'''???.[[M42]]''' - The [[Third War for Damnos]]{{Fn|15}}
*'''???.[[M42]]''' - The [[War of Silence]]{{Fn|49a47a}}
==Notable Necrons==
[[Image:TriarchStalkerArt.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Necron War Engines{{Fn|39d9i}}]]
*[[Ahhotekh]] - [[Necron Overlord|Overlord-Regent]] of the [[Suhbekhar Dynasty]]{{Fn|7a}}
*[[Ahmontekh]] - [[Phaeron]] of the [[Suhbekhar Dynasty]]{{Fn|7b}}
*[[Imotekh|Imotekh the Stormlord]] - [[Phaeron]] of the [[Sautekh Dynasty]].{{Fn|4e}}{{Fn|24b}}
*[[Kamoteph the Crooked]] - Cryptek.{{Fn|22}}
*[[Nekrosor Ammentar]] - [[Destroyer Lord]]{{Fn|6058}}
*[[Obyron|Vargard Obyron]] - Famed bodyguard to Nemesor Zahndrekh.{{Fn|4k}}
*[[Orikan|Orikan the Diviner]] - [[Cryptek]] known for his ability to predict the future.{{Fn|4i}}
*[[Trazyn|Trazyn the Infinite]] - [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] of [[Solemnace]] and a collector of rare artifacts.{{Fn|4j}}
*[[Zahndrekh|Nemesor Zahndrekh]] - [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] of [[Gidrim]].{{Fn|4k}}
*[[Zaphet]] - [[Royal Warden]] that leads the [[Shining Company]],{{Fn|4744}} a Necron force without a dynasty.{{Fn|4843}}
==Related Videos==
==Development History==
{{Trivia}}
Necrons have their thematic origins in the [[Chaos Android]]s of the 1990 board game [[Space Crusade]], though these were not related to the future Necrons besides being killer robots which fought the Imperium and were heavily inspired by the ''Terminator'' movie franchise. Years later, the first appearance of the Necrons proper came in 1998's [[White Dwarf 217 (UK)|White Dwarf #217]] and [[White Dwarf 218 (UK)|#218]]. At this time little was known about the Necrons, save that they had their origins from the [[Necrontyr]]. Their army at the time only consisted of [[Necron Lord]]s, [[Necron Destroyer|Destroyer]]s, [[Necron Warrior|Warriors]], and [[Scarab]]s. In 2002, the Necrons recieved their [[Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition)|first official army codex]] which established them as soulless automatons serving the [[C'tan]].{{Fn|5755}}
The [[Codex: Necrons (5th Edition)|5th Edition Codex]] in 2011 changed the Necron lore radically, establishing more individuality and character into the army and introducing concepts such as [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]] and named characters. It also established that they had overthrown their former C'tan masters.{{Fn|5755}}
==See also==
*9: [[Codex: Necrons (8th Edition)]]:
**{{Endn|9a}}: pgs. 4-5
**{{Endn|9b}}: pg. 126**{{Endn|9c}}: pgspg. 51-528 — ''In The Beginning''
**{{Endn|9d}}: pg. 10
**{{Endn|9e}}: pg. 612**{{Endn|9f}}: pg. 16 — ''Domain of the Phaerons''**{{Endn|9g}}: pg. 31**{{Endn|9h}}: pgs. 51-52**{{Endn|9i}}: pg. 56
*{{Endn|10}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/06/25/who-are-the-szarekhan-dynastygw-homepage-post-2/ Warhammer Community: Who are the Szarekhan Dynasty? (posted 25/06/2020)] ''(last accessed 25 June 2020)''
*11: [[White Dwarf 450]] - ''Last of the Silent Kings'':
*{{Endn|36}}: [[White Dwarf November 2019]], pg. 47
*{{Endn|37}}: [[Codex: Blood Angels (7th Edition)]] - ''Chronicle of Heroes''
*{{Endn|38}}: [[Dark Creed (Novel)]] – , Chapter 3*{{Endn|39}}: [[Codex: Necrons Chaos Daemons (8th 6th Edition)]]:**{{Endn|39a}}: pg. 8 — ''In The Beginning''**{{Endn|39b}}: pg. 16 — ''Domain of the Phaerons''**{{Endn|39c}}: pg. 31**{{Endn|39d}}: , pg. 5636
*{{Endn|40}}: [[Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition Rulebook]], pg. 123 — ''Necrons''
*{{Endn|41}}: [[Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan]], Chapter 1: The Dance of Destiny - Addenda Inquisitoria
*{{Endn|42}}: [[Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition)]], pg. 32 — ''Galactic Feeding Grounds: Fresh Horrors''
*{{Endn|43}}: [[Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition)White Dwarf 480]], pgpgs. 3617-19*{{Endn|44}}: [[White Dwarf 483]], pgs. 88-89
*45: [[Warhammer 40,000 Recruit Edition|Warhammer 40,000: Recruit Manual]]
**{{Endn|45a}}: pg. 22
**{{Endn|45b}}: pg. 23
*{{Endn|46}}: [[Combat Arena: Clash of Champions]] Rulebook, pg. 10
*{{Endn|47}}: [[White Dwarf 483]], pgs. 88-89*{{Endn|48}}: [[White Dwarf 480]], pgs. 17-19*49: [[Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel)]]:**{{Endn|49a47a}}: Chapter 15**{{Endn|49b47b}}: Chapter 9*{{Endn|5048}}: [[Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Book)|Battlefleet Gothic: Armada]], pg. 74*5149: [[The Twice-Dead King - Reign (Novel)]]:**{{Endn|51a49a}}: Chapter 2**{{Endn|51b49b}}: Chapter 10*{{Endn|5250}}: [[The Twice-Dead King - Ruin (Novel)]], Chapter 10*{{Endn|5351}}: [[The Bleeding Stars (Short Story)]]*5452: [[Codex: Necrons (10th Edition)]]:**{{Endn|54a52a}}: pgs. 27-28**{{Endn|54b52b}}: pg. 25**{{Endn|54c52c}}: pgs. 34-35
*55: [[Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus]]:
**{{Endn|55a53a}}: pg. 48**{{Endn|55b53b}}: pgs. 89-92*{{Endn|5654}}: [[Crusade: Pariah Nexus]], pgs. 25-29*{{Endn|5755}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20240904131912/https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/08/necrons-through-the-ages/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=cBkt72QW1Qn0.z01E0rUsOGd4aXVAyuX5yneilt9DNc-1725455952-0.0.1.1-5097 Warhammer Community: Necrons Through the Ages (posted 08/07/2020)] ''(archived from [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/08/necrons-through-the-ages/ the original], last accessed 4/9/2024)''*5856: [[The Silent King (Novel)]]:**{{Endn|58a56a}}: Chapter 23**{{Endn|58b56b}}: Chapter 37*{{Endn|5957}}: [[Kill Team: Tomb World]] Dossier, pg. 7*{{Endn|6058}}: [https://archive.ph/THOjJ Warhammer Community: World Championships Preview – Captain Titus battles Nekrosor Ammentar for the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar] ''(archived from [https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/fm2tm39s/world-championships-preview-captain-titus-battles-nekrosor-ammentar-for-the-five-hundred-worlds-of-ultramar/ the original] 7 November 2025, last accessed 7 November 2025)''
[[Category:Necrons| ]]
