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The Necrons are as difficult to understand as they are to destroy. Despite numerous engagements with the forces of the Imperium, the amount of reliable information gleaned from these conflicts is pitifully small. Nevertheless, one fact remains disquietingly certain: Necron raids are becoming far more frequent, and should the insidious threat they pose continue to escalate, the Imperium's defenders would be woefully ill-prepared to combat it.

Since the first documented occurrence of Necron activity, it has proved impossible to retain a specimen for thorough examination in the laboratories of the Adeptus Machanicus. Nevertheless, extensive investigation by kill-teams of the Deathwatch Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, has allowed us to draw several conclusions. The inability to recover even the most heavily damaged of Necrons is due to their inbuilt reaction to being disabled: the engaging of a powerful teleport system that invariably delivers them to the tomb of catacomb of their origin (ref.GNP.Czvk.Oddyseum.Deathwatch.qv). The only concrete evidence of their physical characteristics and behavior is stored on vid-log or its equivalent.

By their very nature, the majority of Necrons in a particular class are identical in physiognomy, although superficial details such as markings and oxide discolouration may vary depending on their world of origin. Necron warriors, by far the most common of the Necron war-constructs, are basically humanoid. They are bipedal, walk upright and have arms ending in articulated digits capable of manipulating their bizarre weaponry (cf.Xenotech.Gauss). Indeed, they have many similarities with our own physical bodies: ball-and-socket joints at the shoulders and hips, opposable thumbs, and a flexible spine. The fact that their appearance bears close resemblance to a larger version of the human skeleton has not gone unquestioned; they bear a form synonymous with death, possibly a deliberate factor intended to sow fear and panic through the ranks of their prey. In a way, this very form suggests that the Necrons exist purely to wage a war of terror and death against Humanity itself.

The Necron stance is stooped; hunched over so that the carapace-like scapula are almost level with the head. Their legs are usually bent at the knee and they move with a splayed gait, their tread almost invariably silent. Some Necrons have been observed to move with slow, fluid precision, whilst others move in a stiff, uncoordinated fashion. It has been proposed that this is directly linked to the length of time the Necron in question has been active.

In all cases, Necrons are predominantly metallic. A defining feature of the race, precisely which metal they consist of can only be speculated upon. Although lacking the durability of the Imperium's toughest metal, the Necron forms are highly resilient and able to endure repeated impacts from up to and including heavy bolter fire. This unnatural fortitude covers far more factors then mechanical distress, however. Necrons are unaffected by all conventional toxins, are resistant to extremes of temperature, can operate in total vacuum, and seem to have no nervous system. Given their nature, it is likely they will suffer adverse effects from concentrated acids or intense electromagnetic discharge. This hypothesis is as yet unproven, although the Ordo Xenos are conducting field experimentation at every available juncture.

It is highly unlikely that the Necrons have evolved in the manner of biologically occurring species, and the prevalent body of thought is that they were created by an advanced race of beings. It is believed that they have a gestalt consciousness, a shared intellect akin to the Genestealers' brood-mind that does not rely on physical interaction. Their single-minded determination and focus of purpose, combined with the fact that they seem to possess no organic component whatsoever, suggests that they were constructed rather than grown. This in turn suggests that Necrons have no capacity for human traits such as pain or fear. A comparison can be drawn between a monotask servitor and a Necron warrior, but whereas the monotask may exist purely to store pertinent information or lift heavy objects, the Necron exists only to extinguish all life.

It is thought that the Necrons do not have a home world in the conventional sense. Due to the likelihood that they were constructed rather than evolved, there may be many manufactorums (or their xenos equivalent) where Necrons are brought into being.

The centres of recent Necron activity, the 'dead' worlds that the Adeptus Mechanicus are keen to investigate, are numerous indeed. Among their number are Naogeddon, Berien, Exculpia, Hidrin, KVX-193, Angelis (see the works of Luteus Vox, 345.M35), Holda, Dunen II, Truan IX, Zhoros, Doton and Evangel. At least thee of these worlds have been proven to harbour tomb complexes, thought to be the control centres of Necron forces. The massacre on the desert planet of Triasta (998.M41) and the follow-up investigation by the Deathwatch proved that when the Necrons teleport from the battlefield they rematerialise within these complexes. In the opinion of the Inquisition, capitalising upon this knowledge merits the expenditure of considerable military resource.

Necron dead worlds are typified by an arid atmosphere, an inhospitable climate and the total lack of all lifeforms. However, unlike other delta-class worlds such as Istvaan III, Prandium and the like, the state of the Necron worlds was not brought about by unnatural catastrophe. In fact, it is quite likely that the worlds have never harboured life at all. Why the Necrons' masters chose to build their megalithic structures and eldritch architecture upon these worlds is a mystery. It seems reasonable to conclude that the unliving Necrons abhor all life, no matter what from it takes.

The first recorded instance of a Necron attack was on a barren outpost planet on the outskirts of the galaxy known as Sanctuary 101. In 3349092.M41, the Sisterhood of the Emperor Deified built a small community upon the planet, its sole purpose to monitor the Light of the Astronomican. Since that time the planet had become an outpost for the Order of our Martyred Lady, who seek to redeem Mankind through a lifestyle of rigorous prayer and ritual mortification of the flesh.

A place of great holiness, the sanctuary was desecrated and destroyed utterly by the Necron attack. The motive, as with all Necron raids, is still shrouded in mystery.

Before the destruction of the forces stationed there, a psygnostic trace was received that indicated that the Light of the Astronomican had been extinguished in the Sanctuary. No subsequent reports were made. In response, Inquisitor Hoth began a thorough investigation of the scene. His findings included the flayed and mutilated bodies of the Sisterhood defenders, a number of Adeptus Sororitas tanks that had suffered catastrophic damage, and no trace whatsoever of the invaders. His requisitioning of all available evidence from the scene is still a bone of contention between the Inquisition and the Order of Our Martyred Lady, who wish to bury their dead with honor rather than subject them to the exhaustive post-mortem examinations for which Inquisitor Hoth is renowned. The site has since been reconsecrated and memorials erected to the fallen.

It seems foolish to imagine that the Necrons have any concept of social distinction, tribal affiliation or caste. Despite this, there does seem to be a military hierarchy in place; Necrons of varying size and classification have been reported on numerous occasions. The standard unit of the Necron force is the warrior, able to act as a semi-autonomous unit should it need to, but more frequently acting in perfect concert with its detachment. Reports of a bulkier, reinforced form of the Necron warrior, armed with a double-barrelled form of the Necron's gauss weapon, are quite common. These can be surmised to be the elite of the Necron army. The force commander is generally as large as the elite sub-class and often more ostentatious in appearance. Typified by their crackling staves and the crumbling shrouds they often affect, the commanders of the Necron martial structure are immensely potent and thankfully extremely rare.

The combat capabilities of the Necrons include a number of unique and inexplicable technologies. In fact, understanding how their basic weaponry functions still proves beyond the reach of the Adeptus Machanicus due to the simple fact that damaged Necrons either self-repair and rejoin the fight or teleport themselves from the battlefield. It is this very ability that makes the Necron army such a potent threat in the theatre of war. A Necron warrior, disbled by either ranged fire or wounds inflicted in close combat, will automatically engage an advanced repair mechanism that nullifies the debilitating effects of their injuries in an incredibly shot space of time. The automaton is then free to rejoin the fight. Any injury judged by the repair system to be too grievous for an on-the-spot repair will instead engage a sophisticated teleport array, taking the Necron back to its tomb world. The range of this ability is uncertain, although it is known that the Necron can travel across whole systems almost instantaneously. There are no exceptions to this; no matter which part of the Necron is damaged it can still engage this teleport ability. It has been theorised that the Necron tomb complex constantly attempts to recall its warriors, and when a disabled Necron can no longer transmit the counter-signal due to combat damage, it is recalled. If these signals exist and could be blocked or modulated, it may be possible to force a Necron raiding party to return to its tomb complex, or better still allow us to capture a specimen for experimentation.

Necrons primarily use gauss weaponry: rifle-like guns that employ an asynchronos linear induction motor (see Technology). These strip their targets atom by atom at incredible speed, and even the most basic forms of these weapons are capable of burrowing through the armour plating of a Land Raider. Some larger forms of Necron, often mounted on light skimmers, seem to be adapted specifically for this role, and hunt tanks with unerring accuracy.

Each Necron is also a formidable opponent at close quarters. Judging by the brutal efficiency with which the Necrons dispatch their foes, their strength is the equal of a Space Marine, and they can withstand a similar amount of punishment before they are neutralised. When charging, the Necrons wield their rifles like clubs, and have been known to punch the weapon's close combat attachment clear through carapace armour.

Necrons generally eschew assault, and will use their arcane gauss weaponry in preference. There are exceptions to this rule; in fact it seems that some to the larger Necron constructs have been created specifically for a close assault role. As yet, there are no vid-log reports of these creatures.

The Necrons appear to prefer shock tactics, ambushing an enemy via teleportation, rising out of the ground or emerging en masse from their pyramidal transports (ref.NP.Czvk.Monolith). The confusion and panic this causes seems to be augmented by psychodynamic projections that cause extreme fear reactions in the Necrons' prey, often causing them to crumble in the face of the Necrons' onslaught. The source of this effect is currently unclear.

Necron technology is so radically different from its Imperial equivalent that it is practically useless to draw comparisons. There is evidence supporting the use of matter distortion, atomic destabilisation, and even nanotechnology in the Necron arsenal. That the Necron technological ability far supersedes our own is without doubt. In fact, it is entirely possible that these skills belong to another race entirely, and the Necrons are the products rather than the originators.

Gauss flayers, the primary Necron weapon, will strip a target into its constituent atoms in a matter of seconds, tearing it apart with horrifying speed. Magos Barrous and Magos Trantor of the Adeptus Mechanicus have investigated the theory behind the gauss weapons in minute detail, finding the harnessing of such incredible power to be mathematically impossible (see File Ref: G945/902).

Necron close combat weapons, such as they are, are normally comprised of bladed attachments to a range weapon. However, this belies their potency; many Necron blades have been seen to cleave through Terminator armour in the manner of a power sword. Again, the comparison falls shot; experimental evidence (ref:XXT932.12.Heidrax) shows us that even the Rosarius and other personal force fields are no defence against these weapons. The concept that Necron technology can bypass not only the finest adamantium but also the armour of faith itself is truly disturbing.

Necron forces have exhibited widespread use of anti-grav technology that is at least the equal of that employed by the Eldar. This ranges from propelling the insectoid drone constructs that accompany the Necron hordes to guiding the vast and near impenetrable Monolith transports that accompany their advance. Reports have been submitted of the Necrons' ability to produce darkness at will, to slow or accelerate time, to produce coronas of crackling lightning around their forms, to 'phase' in and out of the material dimension to avoid incoming fire, and to reform after being reduced to a pile of molten metal. That their technology exceeds our own to such an extent that we cannot hope to match it is without doubt. That they lack any vestige of true spirit or faith is equally irrefutable.

(Excerpted from the Atranxias Petition of Inquisitor Lord Luthus Griadne of the Ordo Xenos. 998.M41)

+++ Fellow Inquisitors, if you'll allow me to continue… be still, brethren… thank you. A decade ago, the ancient Necrontyr were numbered amongst hundreds of thousands of extinct civilisations that the Imperium had encountered in its holy crusade. The information concerning the dead worlds on which their megalithic structures were uncovered was field in the annals of the Adeptus Mechanicus amongst innumerable similar entries. Six year ago., it was ascertained that the remnants of this ancient empire were attacking unprotected outposts of the Imperium. Ordo Xenos kill-team were sent to investigate, and a number of Inquisitors diverted their attention to the new threat, incidental as it may have seemed at the time However, the Imperium was far more concerned with the encroaching invasion of Hive Fleet Leviathan and the Ork Waaagh mustering in the Armageddon sector. The Necrons were designated Threat Index Omega.

Since that time, the Necrons have in force. They have in stasis for untold millions of years, under the guard of the comparatively primitive constructs which the Imperium first encountered at Sanctuary 101.

But what we thought were random and unconnected acts of violence on the outskirts of Imperial civilisation proved to herald the awakening of an entire civilisation of aliens that had lain dormant beneath our own. We have sorely underestimated the threat they pose to the Imperium.

The Necrons exist for one purpose only: to exterminate or enslave the entire Human race. For those of you scoffing at this notion allow me to point out a few pertinent facts. The Necron form a macabre mockery of the human skeleton, is intended to strike fear into our hearts. They attack without warning and disappear without trace. In every engagement, be it a small-scale raid or a full naval engagement, we have recovered nothing. Their technology is so advanced that even our most respected Techpriests arc at a loss as to how to neutralise the threat it poses. They have spent acons in stasis only choosing to emerge now. This suggests that whatever criteria the Necrons masters have specified for their awakening have now been fulfilled, suggesting in turn that they believe they have the military capacity to achieve their nefarious ends. But the Imperium is mighty indeed and we have conquered this manner of menace before.

The fact that causes me the most consternation is how little we know about the Necrons and their motives. We have speculated at length, but recovered nothing. The Adeptus Mechanicus, at the time when we need their guidance most, seem divided and confused. Requests for Exterminatus on the Necron tomb worlds have been vetoed time and time again. And most disturbing of all is the fact that not one of us can claim to understand the motives behind their seemingly random bur clinical and efficient raids. They move against us in ways we cannot comprehend or hope to counter, and to underestimate them is folly of the worst kind. I advocate that they are designated Threat Index Beta, effective immediately.+++

In 785.M41, the first of a series of truly inexplicable raids began in the Roian Strait of the Segmentum Obscurus. Although the system was far-flung, more than 3.000 light years away from Terra, such is the breadth of the Imperium that several planet still prospered on the galactic hub. N'kle a tithe grade agri-world, had a low population spread across its sprawling, verdant continents. The events that occurred there remain among the most recognised examples of the inexplicable nature of Necron raids, as it refuted the prevalent belief that the sole purpose of their appearances is to exterminate Human life.

Jhasu Obele, the village elder of the Mbele settlement, made a detailed testimony as to the Necrons activities on N'kele. A team of decryption servitors soon deciphered the peculiar language of the Mbele. His statement is as follows.

"A great comet had appeared in the night sky. Something was wrong because the birds were silent. Earlier, I had read the signs that devils came. But our defenses were poor, they found the women and children in the barn. They were steel daemons; they had skills in place of their faces. They made no sound. Soli, my son, thought they were dream-devils. He threw his spear. It hit one of the daemons in the chest. It pointed its arm at Soli and suddenly he was wreathed in green fire. The fire ate him: he screamed so much that we ran. They began killing us; our spears and sling could not harm them. When they found the women and children their leader stepped forward. He was great and terrible, and had sewn the seeds of terror amongst us so that we could not speak. He singled out Ghara, the unlucky child. She was crying: the other children crawled away from her. The leader of the steel devils picked her up. He did not kill her bur held her tight, covering her with his shroud. He walked away, and his people began to kill again. I hid in the cellars with my wife. When we came out the next day there was no-one life. The steel daemons had gone."

Many conclusions have since been drawn from this event, and similar occurrences have been documented. It is widely believed that the child was a psyker, but a Black Ship had passed through that very system mere months before, and detected no psychic activity whatsoever inherent in the Mbele. No solid conclusion has been drawn from this event, or other comparable instance.