# Pariahs



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

They're gone from the current necron codex, however they still make appearances in existing lore. They seem to fight alongside necron units in one or two instances that I can recall, such as the necron forces in the Ciaphas Cain novel _Caves of Ice._ These can be confirmed to be pariahs since they reduced trained stormtroopers to gibbering cowering wrecks simply by proximity, something that even flayers didn't do. Therefore it is a safe assumption that they projected a soulless aura in the same way that psychic blanks and human pariahs do. 

So, they still exist. But they no longer seem a common choice for necron armies to take. Another thing to consider is that they are human in origin, and it stands to reason that they require necron technology to exist. Given that they only appear in the recent/current 40k setting, it is therefore a safe assumption that at least one necron faction is responsible for their existence. 

In the old fluff, Pariahs represented the c'tan's next ideal for the galaxy. It is entirely possible that this is still the case. Necrons fear the idea of free or rogue c'tan more than anything else and with good reason. We can confirm the existence of at least one rogue Deceiver shard due to the short story _Deus Ex Mechanicus_. It is also possible that the same or another Deceiver shard is the golden skinned stranger responsible for Abaddon's acquisition of the daemon sword Drach'nyen. 


Rogue c'tan are confirmed. And pariahs are still technically part of the lore. I want to put these pieces together, and the most logical choice is a necron faction involved in the creation of pariahs. Whether this is in collusion with a c'tan, under control of one or simply a freelancing cryptek exercising his own curiosity. Either way, I'd like to see more of them. They seemed like too big a part of the impending End Times to simply discard from the lore entirely. Don't get me wrong, I love the newer necron fluff. But it seems there's a lot of potential surrounding Pariahs that simply isn't being used. 

Does anyone else agree?


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## Shandathe (May 2, 2010)

Partially. I never quite got why Necrons could field units of Pariahs in the first place, given the supposed rarity of the gene. Necrons coming across one, leaving him alive to recognize him for what he is (instead of him taking a Gauss shot to the face) always struck me as unlikely.

A single faction/cryptek experiment actually seems more likely than them being anything near common.


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## Tyriks (Dec 9, 2015)

What are pariahs? I thought the term was the same thing as a human blank (since people don't like being around blanks). But @Serpion5, you make it sound more like something the Necrons created, and @Shandathe makes it sound like some humans are Necrons already or something. Am I missing something?


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Tyriks said:


> What are pariahs?


Psychic blanks with a negative presence in the warp.



Tyriks said:


> I thought the term was the same thing as a human blank (since people don't like being around blanks).


Yes it is.



Tyriks said:


> But Serphttp://www.heresy-online.net/forums/member.php?u=21465, you make it sound more like something the Necrons created,


In the 3rd edition necron codex it was implied that some of the c'tan put the pariah gene in the genetic coding of proto-man.



Tyriks said:


> Shandathehttp://www.heresy-online.net/forums/member.php?u=22550 makes it sound like some humans are Necrons already or something. Am I missing something?


In the third edition necron codex there was a unit type known as the pariah, it was a human-necron hybrid made possible because of that genetic tampering done to pre mankind. Its noted as possibly being something the c'tan wanted for the galaxy.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

@Tyriks When I get home from work today I'll quote some info from the old necron codex. Maybe dig up some artwork online as well if I can. 

Unless someone beats me to it. Or you could search Lexicanum or Google for Necron Pariahs. Like this one.


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## Tyriks (Dec 9, 2015)

Isn't being detached from the warp kind of what lost them the War in Heaven in the first place? Why are they striving for more of that?


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Tyriks said:


> Isn't being detached from the warp kind of what lost them the War in Heaven in the first place? Why are they striving for more of that?


It gave them a disadvantage, but the necrons and c'tan did not lose the War in Heaven. They want more of it because it nullifies what was able to challenge them.


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## Tyriks (Dec 9, 2015)

In regards to losing, I meant as the Necrontyr, not the Necrons. I could easily be mistaken but I thought the whole reason they turned to the ctan was that their absence from the warp meant any kind of psyker attack would demolish them. Is that incorrect? If not, I don't see how more of that would help.


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

It's not so much an absence in the warp as much as its a negative presence. Pariah actually nullify psychic abilities in a vicinity to them (the stronger a blank, the wider or more powerful the effect.)


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## Brother Armiger (Mar 24, 2016)

Still completely baffled as to why these were ever removed to begin with.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Tyriks said:


> In regards to losing, I meant as the Necrontyr, not the Necrons. I could easily be mistaken but I thought the whole reason they turned to the ctan was that their absence from the warp meant any kind of psyker attack would demolish them. Is that incorrect? If not, I don't see how more of that would help.


The necrons are absent from the warp. They can't harness it nor really defend against it. Pariahs are something else entirely. They aren't literally soulless, it's that their physiology channels the warp in a negative fashion, acting almost like a black hole to warp energy. It's as though they channel the warp in the exact opposite way to how a psyker does, enabling them to nullify psychic powers and demonic presences. Given that psykers and warp creatures were perceived to be the biggest challenger to the 
Necrons' dominance, it is a no brainer that creating such beings as Pariahs is a fantastic long term investment.


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## Tyriks (Dec 9, 2015)

Serpion5 said:


> The necrons are absent from the warp. They can't harness it nor really defend against it. Pariahs are something else entirely. They aren't literally soulless, it's that their physiology channels the warp in a negative fashion, acting almost like a black hole to warp energy. It's as though they channel the warp in the exact opposite way to how a psyker does, enabling them to nullify psychic powers and demonic presences. Given that psykers and warp creatures were perceived to be the biggest challenger to the Necrons' dominance, it is a no brainer that creating such beings as Pariahs is a fantastic long term investment.


That makes a lot more sense! Thanks for clarifying.


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## Deloth (May 18, 2016)

Tyriks said:


> Isn't being detached from the warp kind of what lost them the War in Heaven in the first place? Why are they striving for more of that?


The Necrons (and C'tan) are complete warp blanks. They cannot so much as touch the warp if they wanted to, which is what also makes them so unique. Since they lack this ability they have become the masters of real-space, learning to bend and manipulate the physical universe to meet their purposes. It is how their ships are still capable of interstellar flight and similar feats that generally require at least some access to the warp.

However, despite the fact that they do not need the warp, it is still something that is beyond their control and thus a threat. The C'tan absolutely hate the Warp. The Old Ones (and later the Eldar) were only able to keep the forces of the C'tan at bay as long as they did during the War in Heaven due to their prowess in harnessing the power of the warp to use against them. Because of this the C’tan began their great work and had the Necrons construct a series of pylons which, if completed, were intended to close off the Warp from the material universe entirely. This plan failed of course, but had it succeeded the immediate effect would would have killed all psykers in the galaxy instantly, sealed off any and all warp entities from being able to influence real-space ever again, and leave all life in the galaxy at the mercy the C'tan.

Back on topic of the OP, the "Necron Pariah" is simply an extension of their hatred for the warp, psykers, and all that. By taking the Pariah gene found in some humans and integrating it into a new generation of Proto-Necron, they were essentially developing soldiers that could be used to directly counter the warp on the field of battle. As it was still in its proto-stage when the Necrons rebelled against the C'tan, there most likely aren't a whole lot of them. It would be cool to see them come back at some point.


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## LordNecross (Aug 14, 2014)

I love Pariahs, need to be brought back. I think the biggest reason they sorta got put on the back burner is the introduction of lychguard which fill their melee role. Hopefully Paraih comeback and give Cron's a good anti-psyker unit that has a unique balanced role.

As for Paraih numbers, I literally see no reason why Cron's can't just clone them, being literal masters of the Material Universe, replicating the gene should be no trouble. Harvesting fresh pariah would just be for keeping a good pool of genes to pick from.

Also hopefully we get Necron Pariah characters.


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## Deloth (May 18, 2016)

LordNecross said:


> As for Paraih numbers, I literally see no reason why Cron's can't just clone them, being literal masters of the Material Universe, replicating the gene should be no trouble. Harvesting fresh pariah would just be for keeping a good pool of genes to pick from.


I would love to see the return on the Pariah in its completed form. Remember that the version in the old Cron book was essentially a proto-necron. It wasn't classified as a true Necron unit, couldn't benefit from any army perks (reanimation, any form of teleportation, etc.), and didn't count towards remaining units for the old "phase out" rule.

From a lore perspective it really feels like the project died out in its infancy when the Necrons overthrew their enslavers. It would be really cool if in a later book we have a Phaeron somewhere who revives the project and sees it through to completion.


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