Re: warhammer
These are all of the races in 40k.
Good:
The Imperium of man
Tau
Evil:
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Daemons
Orks
Tyranids
Eldar
Necrons
Descriptions:
The
Adeptus Astartes (commonly known as
Space Marines, and colloquially as
Angels of Death) are the most elite and feared fighting forces of the
Imperium. The primary unit of organization is the Chapter, a self-contained army fully equipped with its own transport, non-combatant support staff, etc. There are around a thousand Chapters, each comprising a thousand Space Marines. There are far too few Space Marines to form the Imperium's main military forces; instead they operate as highly mobile strike forces. They are entrusted with the most dangerous missions, such as lightning raids behind enemy lines, infiltration and tunnel fighting. Through selection, training and conditioning, Marines are physically, mentally and spiritually superior to any other Imperial soldier.
The
Tau are a young race of technologically oriented beings from the
Eastern Fringe.
T'au, the Tau home planet, was discovered in 789.
M35 by the
Adeptus Mechanicus ship
Land's Vision. Adeptus Mechanicus records indicate that at that time the Tau species had mastered the use of simple tools and weapons, as well as fire. Before the planet could be cleansed and colonized by the Imperium however, a violent
warp storm erupted around the planet. This continued for 6,000 years, making the Tau's homeworld utterly inaccesible.
It was not until the
Damocles Crusade that the Imperium again contacted the Tau. The
Imperium found the primitive Tau had advanced considerably. In six thousand years the Tau had advanced from spears and fire to colonizing planets and
Pulse Rifles.
The
Chaos Space Marines (aka
Traitor Marines,
Chaos Marines and
Traitor Legionnaires) are counted among the most dedicated and powerful servants of the
Powers of Chaos.
Ten thousand years ago,
Horus,
Warmaster of the
Imperium and most trusted 'son' of the
Emperor, fell under mysterious circumstances to Chaos. Besides the
Space Marine Legion under his direct command, the
Sons of Horus, eight of his brother-
Primarchs and their legions also joined him in the
Horus Heresy against the Emperor.
They were eventually defeated at the
Battle of Terra, where Horus was slain, and fled to the
Eye of Terror.
Orks are a warlike, green-skinned race, spread throughout the galaxy, seen by their enemies (everyone else) as savage, warlike and crude - but they also are the most successful species in the whole galaxy, outnumbering possibly every other race. However, this massive race is split into hundreds of tiny empires, often warring between themselves. But were the Orks ever to unite, they would undoubtedly crush all opposition.
The
Tyranids are an extragalactic alien race, whose sole purpose is the consumption of all forms of genetic and biological material in order to evolve and reproduce. Tyranid technology is based entirely on biological engineering. Every function is carried out by living, engineered creatures, each of which collectively forms the
Hive Fleet, directed by a single
Hive Mind.
The existing Eldar are essentially a refugee population, the scattered remains of their former strength and power. Even in such straits, however, they are still a powerful force in the galaxy. Once, ten thousand years past, the Eldar were among the most powerful and dominant race of the galaxy, dominating a significant portion of the galaxy and secure in their prosperity. Although there were other races of advanced technology and military power, none were in a position to seriously threaten the state of the Eldar nation. When it came, the disaster was internal. Consumed by arrogance and with no need for substantial work or labour, the Eldar began to pursue any curiosity or desire. Rapidly, cults devoted to exotic knowledge, physical pleasure, and ever-more outrageous entertainment sprang up. It did not take long for many of the Eldar to take a darker path, descending into dark study, instant fulfilment and unbridled violence, beginning the
Fall of the Eldar.
Many of the Eldar grew uneasy with the actions of their comrades, and the wisest of the Seers warned that the path could lead only to evil. Disgusted, some of the Eldar left the central worlds of the Empire to settle on the outlying regions, while others stayed to try and alter the path their race had taken.
While this would have been destructive within any society, it was even more damaging for the Eldar. Within the parallel realm of the
warp, the psychic emanations of these activities began to gather, strengthened by the souls of departed followers and cultists. As the Eldar vices grew, this collection did as well, until it eventually came into a life of its own. It finally came to consciousness as
Slaanesh, Devourer of Souls and doom to the Eldar, for the psychic scream of its birth tore the souls from all the Eldar within a thousand light years of it. Its awakening was so forceful that it tore a hole between physical space and the Warp, plunging the Eldar
homeworlds into a limbo of partial existence. This region is now known as the
Eye of Terror, and is now the home of the forces of
Chaos. Many Eldar survived the Fall and remain trapped within the Eye on the homeworlds of the Eldar, the
Crone Worlds, and are enslaved to Slaanesh.
Since this time, which is known only as The Fall, the Eldar have been a broken and scattered people, lacking cohesion and purpose. The Eldar population is constantly dwindling.
The
Necrons are a mysterious race of skeletal warriors that have lain dormant in their stasis-tombs for millions of years. They are ancient beyond reckoning, pre-dating even the
Eldar. At long last however, they are beginning to awaken, for the galaxy is ripe for the greatest harvest since the demise of the
Old Ones.1
The Necrons' story is one of ancient betrayal. Aeons ago, the
Necrontyr race clung to their short lives in fear of oblivion at the hands of their massive and ravaging star. They pushed the limits of science in an effort to lengthen their lives, but to no avail. In their desperation, the looked to their science and discovered ethereal beings feeding on the energies of whole stars. They named these beings the star gods, or
C'tan. The C'tan offered the Necrontyr people immortality, but only at a terrible price. We will never know if the Necrontyr knew this price, but their race was completely purged and transferred into new metal bodies.1
The C'tan are enormous energy beings who were given physical embodiments by the Necrontyr. They encased the C'tan inside vast lumps of their living metal, the same material they used in their space faring ships. The metal mutated into the shape desired by the personality of the being inside. The Night Bringer was forged into a dark figure with a large cloak, adding to the fear it already inspires, and the Deceiver was formed into a wily shape. Originally there were a large number of C'tan, but due to the machinations of the Deceiver, this number reduced to two, The
Night Bringer,and The
Deceiver.
The Necrontyr accepted the C'tan's offer and their life essence was encased in
living metal bodies. What they did not know was that the process dulled their minds and senses until they became slaves of the C'tan. The C'tan needed warrior-slaves to harvest the lifeforms of the galaxy so the star gods could feast on souls, and their new Necrons served this purpose very well.1
The Necrons burst into the Old Ones strongest fortresses and destroyed their magics and technology. The Old Ones were forced to seed planets with life to help fight the C'tan, including the Eldar and
Krork. These races had the ability to use the warp to defend themselves. Gradually, the Old Ones were forced back by the relentless push of the C'tan and billions of souls were harvested for the Star Gods. The C'tan had been working on a plan to cripple the Old Ones, and eventually it came to fruition. They burst into and destroyed the webways discovered by the Old Ones. Without these portals, the Old Ones were unable to move troops throughout the galaxy. With the new races using so much warp power for the purposes of killing, the benign creatures in the warp mutated into the evil creatures they are today. Then the Enslavers came, and forced the Necrons back with their psychic powers. The 4 remaining C'tan went into stasis to avoid the Enslavers and allow the galaxy to repopulate without the psychic swarm, so they could emerge and reconquer their empire.1
In combat, the Necrons are unyielding war machines that bring swift death to their prey. Armed with
Gauss Weaponry that strip an opponent's molecules one layer at a time, the Necrons have fearsome firepower. Also, the Necrons have a remarkable ability to repair themselves, a Special Rule known as "
We'll Be Back!". This gives the Necrons incredible staying power in a battle, which makes them an enemy dreaded by all races. It is often said amongst commanders of more orthodox armies that the Necrons are an over-powerful force on the battle field, due to the fact even a basic warrior can tear through the strongest tanks in the game although Necron players dispute this rigorously. They also use a variety of deadly wargear, including some types which make the wearer immune to some assaults, and others that create deadly arcs of lightning. These are analysed within the
Necron Armoury.1
The Necrons most often encountered by other races are warrior machines and are analysed in the
Necron Army List. Necrons serving purposes other than purely warrior roles have not as yet been observed.
and that about sums it up.
