tünides

Tünides are a fictional race of humanoid beings originating from the *Warhammer 40,000* universe, specifically within the *Necron* lore. They are an ancient, godlike civilization that once dominated the Milky Way galaxy before their eventual decline and eventual resurrection as the Necrons. The term "Tünides" refers to the original, pre-apocalyptic form of the Necron race, a name derived from their ancient language, which translates roughly to "the chosen."

The Tünides were a highly advanced, immortal species that harnessed the power of the Golden Gods, a pantheon of divine entities that granted them near-limitless technological and biological mastery. Their civilization flourished for millennia, constructing monumental structures like the Necropoleis and the Great Pyramid of Osiris. However, their hubris and conflicts with other galactic powers, particularly the Eldar, led to a catastrophic war known as the *Time of Sunder*. This conflict resulted in the Tünides' near-extinction, as their Golden Gods were slain, and their bodies were scattered across the galaxy, entering a state of suspended animation known as the *Sleep*.

For eons, the Tünides remained dormant, preserved in stasis by their own technology. Their eventual revival was orchestrated by the Dark Gods, who sought to resurrect them as the Necrons—a reanimated, cybernetically enhanced army of the dead. The Necrons, now devoid of their original divine nature, serve as the primary antagonists of the *Warhammer 40,000* setting, waging endless wars across the galaxy in pursuit of the Golden Gods' power. The term "Tünides" is rarely used in modern contexts, as the Necrons have largely replaced them in popular lore, though references to their ancient past occasionally appear in historical texts and relics.