Old Ones (Warhammer 40,000) - History

History

The Old Ones of Warhammer 40,000 history are possibly an ancient species of nearly immortal, cold-blooded beings, who were probably the first race in the galaxy to have evolved sentience (however, the C'tan predate the Old Ones, but the C'tan didn't partake in the affairs of the Galaxy until the Necrontyr gave them physical bodies just before the War in Heaven). A supposedly benevolent and gentle race, they appear to have wished to nurture the younger races and protect them from the C'tan. The Old Ones were inherently patient as a race, and before attempting to explore the galaxy they made an extensive study of astronomy, which led them to discover the Immaterium. At the time, the Immaterium was as yet unaffected by the psychic emissions of other intelligent races, and so it was a calm and steady realm. The Old Ones were able to exploit the Immaterium, allowing them to travel across the galaxy at a whim without the need of starships.

In their travels, the Old Ones seeded many worlds with life, and encouraged the development of indigenous animal and intelligent life on many more. Life on Earth is believed to have been created in this way as the Old Ones probably first seeded it with primitive, single-celled lifeforms.