Birth of the Star Gods - An Introduction to the Necrons in Warhammer 40,000 - a Lore Series
Image credit: 40k.gallery
Hello ! Awesome Community, fellow Hivers, and friends!😁😀🐝
In our previous post, we delved deeper into The Canoptek Spyders & Necron Fleets. (@xenowolfza/repair-masters-and-masters-of)
"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."- From the Chronicle of Szarekh, Last of the Silent Kings
The C’tan: Birth of the Star Gods
As we continue our deep dive into Necron lore, today’s focus turns to the C’tan - the mysterious and terrifying Star Gods worshipped and later betrayed by the Necrons. The C'tan (pronounced ker-TAN) or Star Gods, called Yngir in the Aeldari Lexicon, are said to be the oldest intelligent beings in existence in the galaxy.👽💥
The C’tan were born in the fires of Creation itself. When the universe was still a maelstrom of stars and gas, they emerged — vast entities of pure energy that fed upon the electromagnetic lifeblood of stars. 💥🩸
Image credit: 40k.gallery
These beings drifted across the cosmos, consuming solar energy and shortening the lives of countless stars, utterly indifferent to the primitive matter of planets and life.
Eventually, these ancient star-vampires encountered the Necrontyr, a bitter and dying race locked in war with the Old Ones. The C’tan offered the Necrontyr a path to immortality in exchange for servitude. Using necrodermis — a living metal capable of regenerating damage — the Necrontyr forged bodies for the C’tan and underwent biotransference, sacrificing their souls to become the Necrons.👾
But the C’tan craved more than starlight. Once in physical form, they discovered the rich, delicious energies of mortal life. Fueled by the hatred of the Necrontyr and their own malevolent hunger, the C’tan led a galaxy-spanning war against the Old Ones known as the War in Heaven.🌌
Image credit: 40k.gallery
Eventually, the Necrons turned against their so-called gods. Led by the Silent King, they shattered the C’tan into fragments — C’tan Shards — and imprisoned them within arcane devices called Tesseract Labyrinths. Though no longer whole, even a single Shard possesses immense power and is used as a living weapon by the Necrons.🤖
C’tan Shards remain unpredictable. Should one ever escape, it could spell doom for entire civilizations.
(Caged Sun -Star god fragment)
Image credit: 40k.gallery
Necrodermis
The living metal used by both the C’tan and the Necrons, is central to this story. Able to regenerate from almost any damage, it flows and reforms like quicksilver. This remarkable material makes up Necron bodies, vehicles, weapons, and even starships — an eternal testament to Necron mastery of science over flesh.🪨🦾
Image credit: 40k.gallery
The legacy of the C’tan is still felt across the galaxy — their influence woven into the very fabric of Necron technology, and their rage caged just beneath the surface.
Next time:
I cover specific C'tan Shards like the Nightbringer or the Void Dragon.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time - Peace😀✌️!
Credits go to sources (info and research derived from , but written in my own understanding and words):
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/