Index Xenos - Moztekh'n Dynasty

[Conn Eremon]

"Long before your ancestor species evolved from its protoplasm, we tore our Gods' hearts out and sacrificed them upon the plinths of our vengeance. We will do the same to yours."

 

Alright folks, I’ve wanted to talk about my Necron Tombworld since, like, forever, so here it goes!

 

The Necron Dynasty is Astekh’n, which is kind of just a placeholder name for right now. I want to explore ancient cultures that utilized pyramids other than just Egyptian, and South America immediately came to mind. However, I might be looking into some SE Asian cultures as well. The Terracotta Army, perhaps.

 

I know it wasn’t always the most popular of new lore, but I’ve always liked the idea that some of the Necron’tyr rebelled against the C’tan, and that they must also have a negative opinion of the gods of other races, considering their war with the Eldar. As such, I see this dynasty having a bit of a god-killer complex. Gods, false or otherwise, are to blame for the galaxy’s woes. The Chaos Gods thirst for all and the upstart humans dare to claim our ancient domains in the name of their god-king.

 

Damage sustained during sleep can turn this into a true obsession, something they are mentally unable to deviate from, even if in all other matters they have their full faculties. I’m certainly not suggesting they actually succeed in any way in their given task, no gods of the setting will fall to the Astekh’n Dynasty. Just that they have a particular feud with any of the setting’s faiths, and will make every effort to destroy shrines and icons.

 

Basically xenos Imperial Heralds, if anyone’s familiar with the Word Bearers’ original formation.

 

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the Necron hierarchies work, but I like the idea of using Aztec gods and modifying them to be Necrony. Right now, i have Phaeron Mykhtlan the Everborn, the Crypteks Khotl  and Ikhel, and Praetorian Tlalokh.

 

As you can see, it's not much more than a core idea. Its history and character needs work, but what do you guys think of it so far?

 

http://i.imgur.com/9vOqaEV.png

Edited August 10, 2017 by Conn Eremon

[Cpt_Reaper]

Non-egyptian necrons? Well that's something I haven't seen before. I'm keen to see where this goes.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I like it!  Something different.  Plus, describing them as having a "god-killer complex" is I think suitably grimdark for the setting.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Use the wings in Dark Angels models to modify Necron elites into Eagle Warriors.

[Olis]

Suggestion on a dynasty name: Seeing as they are Aztec-ish, maybe you could build off of the other name for them (Nahuatl)? 

[Conn Eremon]

Suggestion on a dynasty name: Seeing as they are Aztec-ish, maybe you could build off of the other name for them (Nahuatl)? 

 

Nahautl is definitely in the lead as far the Dynasty name basis is concerned, though I'm also considering if I want to make it more of a portmanteau or other type of mashing together of Nahautl/Aztec and Khmer/Cambodia, before properly Necronizing it.

 

A couple ideas I've been entertaining that I'm still working on are the appearance of Necron pyramid structures and a variant on the Flayed Ones.

 

So firstly, like many Tombworlds and Dynastic domains, there are other, younger breeds who have been foolish enough to populate them. For simplicity's sake, they are human and it is Imperial. However, within this zone of space that may be subsector or larger in size, there is a shared culture. The accepted view is that this indicates a pre-Imperial union, though over the years there have been no shortage of disgraced scholars positing that it is due to colonization from a singular origin well after Imperial dominion. Distinctions exist from world to world, but by and large there is a common thread that ties them all together, up to and including their architectural inclinations.

 

Namely, they liked to pretty up the pre-existing (supposedly, it's a disputed manner) obsidian structures that dotted the landscapes. Beautiful, ornate statuary are built upon them in tiered levels, often to such an extent as to utterly envelop the black stone beneath. In many cases, this was a necessity. These ancient structures were the centers of worship to the great God-Emperor, so of course they had to add upon them something that could actually be entered. On those dying, failed worlds these great temples became rather run down and dilapidated, all grey stone of weathered edges and cracks. But upon those thriving centers of civilization, the bright and gaudy exteriors were visible for miles around.

 

When the Necrons awoke, their obelisks and monoliths rose higher into the air, many freeing themselves from the earth. The architectural additions were not meant to withstand such behavior, and along with the great war, most would crumble off like a great serpent shedding its skin. But for those structures that remained grounded, particularly in those great urban districts, much of the humans' artistry remains whole.

 

Which ultimately means, what if a Necron city looked a bit like Angkor Wat at its height?

 

For the Flayed Ones, my understanding is that their particular quirk is that they miss still the feeling of being of flesh and skin. So they take the flesh and skin of others to wear upon themselves. I'm still working on it, but I think there might be an interesting way to connect my Dynasty's Flayed Ones to the Aztecan Jaguar & Eagle Warriors. Perhaps they arose from a particular tombworld where no humans lived, and so they looked to the animals. Or perhaps they don't see humans as worthy flesh, or they're only like the Flayed Ones but are in fact a new and different outcome of an eons' old failure that has been cascading ever since.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Jaguar Warriors wear jaguar skins to

 

1) Intimidate the enemy,

 

2) Embody certain martial attributes, or absorb the attributes of the animal whose skins they wear, e.g., a jaguar's ferocity,

 

And possibly

 

3) Demonstrate personal courage and skills, e.g., the Jaguar Warrior personally killed the ferocious beast whose skin he now wears.

 

That should justify you painting a jaguar's spots onto the skins your Flayed Ones wear, along with the previously suggested view that humans are unworthy of the honor of having a Flayed One wear their skins, and

 

4) The Flayed Ones are so mentally degraded, they now believe themselves to be actual jaguars.

 

Other beasts may donate their flesh to a Flayed One. "Tyranid Warriors" and "Ork Warriors," anyone?

[Conn Eremon]

It's an idea. Here's some rambling on the subject. Not sure if I'll keep it, but maybe I'll just post it instead of just keeping it in a Word doc.

 

Members of a privileged Necrontyr caste, the Okhatl caste, a class of lesser nobles who become highly trained warriors. Like a sort of Necron special forces.When the Necrons went into their stasis-crypts, the Okhatl were left in a more shallow sleep, the better for them to awaken, prepared for war.

 

But millions of years have passed, and when curious hands grabbed at their worlds, and the loud sounds of industry echoed down the black halls, the dust-covered warriors remained dormant, alarms failing to trigger.

 

When the Necrons finally do awaken, these ancient warriors are sparked to life, and the slow decay of ages is made evident. Few of the Okhatl held onto their senses of self, the rest behaved as if animals. Examination of their plinths showed a terrible truth: The Okhatl had been awake for hundreds of thousands of years, but the master program did not release the barriers that confined them. They were not dormant because of the Great Sleep, they had frozen stiff from eons of inactivity. Those few whose awakening had failed to trigger are the few that retained their former selves in some manner. Perhaps an Obyron counts-as could be from among the Okhatl of whole mind. Wielding a broad club, with prismatic blades embedded along opposite sides at the thickened end.

 

So these are essentially Lychguard who became Flayed Ones by going mad within the prison-graves. Though degenerated into animal-like beasts, much of their core skills are retained. Their training, though millions of years ago and in an entirely different body, was so complete that it was the only part of their mind that didn't fade to madness. So savage monstrosities that can think tactically and capitalize on weaknesses with frightening agility and adaptability.

 

And then, I don't know. They cover themselves in flesh, but it is their brothers that drape them in the skins of animals? Maybe it'd just be to at like it rather than look like it.

[Conn Eremon]

The Seven Crypts of Moztekh

 

Scattered across four tombworlds are the crypts of the seven noble families within the Moztekh Dynasty, such as the militant Khalxa, dour Tlahuekha, and the blood of the Phaeron herself, the Moztekh'n.

 

I intended to slowly build this while I looked into Aztlán for source material, but my friends just came to grab me, so I'll leave it with this.

 

Later I'll edit the title of the thread, but I have changed the name of the Dynasty to the Moztekh Dynasty. Still very reminiscent of the source material, but I like it.

[Phatsquirre1]

Not gonna lie, the Okhatl sound insanely cool as an idea. Although maybe instead of being draped in flesh/animal skin, they wear tattered, ancient cloaks that were once made from animal hides? Like a sign of honor became a sign of savagery?