Usually, pretty much everyone in Warhammer 40,000 aims to dominate the galaxy alone. Cooperation is an absolute exception. Therefore, a seemingly emotionless zombie robot stands out, one that not only values history but even helps humans.
In a world dominated by war, peace is actually not possible. At least not permanently, and even the people who actually strive for peace do so through brutal means. Cooperation is at best temporary.
Most of the time, such short-term alliances are formed between the once so powerful Aeldari and the Imperium of Man, who repeatedly collaborate. But there is another, major exception: Trazyn the Infinite.
Trazyn belongs to the “people” of the Necrons, an ancient species that exchanged their fleshly bodies for constructs of living metal millions of years ago. Unlike most of his people, Trazyn is a collector and preserver.
The Necron has become a legend not only in the world of Warhammer itself but also in the community. However, he enjoys a somewhat different reputation here.
A Thief Enthusiastic Collector and Preserver of History
Among fans, Trazyn is mainly regarded as a thief because he “collects” just about everything – if necessary, with armed force. His collection is probably the largest in the entire galaxy and encompasses his entire homeworld Solemnus, an artificial planet that is constantly being expanded by nanites. Supposedly, not even Trazyn himself knows the extent of his gallery.
After the Biotransference, when the Necrons or Necrontyr bound their consciousness into the living metal, most of the people lost their free will and the ability to create art.
That, along with Trazyn’s original profession as an archivist, has led the Necron Lord to collect items, writings, individuals, and even situations that he deems worthy of preservation. They are to serve his people when they eventually awaken to explore the galaxy.
Although Trazyn has acquired many objects from his collection through wars and battles, often instigated by himself, he is not a brutal raider. On the contrary: because he values preservation, he sometimes even helps.
Cadia Falls and a Xenos Comes to Help
His perhaps greatest intervention in galactic affairs is the legendary fall of the human fortress world Cadia. Forces of Chaos attacked here during the 13th Crusade, and Abaddon himself dropped a space fortress on the planet to smash it.
The Crusade itself destroyed parts of Trazyn’s collection, prompting him to investigate the cause. Even the most powerful weapon in the galaxy was used. After he was able to identify Chaos as the culprit – and because he hoped for new pieces for his collection – he came to Cadia’s aid.
In collaboration with the humans, Trazyn then attempted to stop Abaddon, the Champion of Chaos… without success, obviously. Trazyn even simply teleported out of the fight when it seemed hopeless, abandoning the humans.
However, what is exciting is the manner in which Trazyn provided for the defense. That illustrates what the notorious thief – uh, collector – has to offer.
The soldiers from Cadia even have their own miniatures:
Random Bullshit, go!
In the war for Cadia, Trazyn not only fought with his own weapons but also summoned heaps of pieces from his collection to strike back against the Black Legion.
To give you an idea of what Trazyn has in his collection, the gallery contains items like:
- a group of Harlequins, Aeldari, who follow the Laughing God and thus defy Chaos
- a Champion of the Death Guard, a follower of Nurgle
- Orks that are currently in the middle of a fight
- at least one Custodes, the bodyguards of the Emperor
- shards of the C’tan, the (former) gods of the Necrons or Necrontyr
- a swarm tyrant of the Tyranids
- a Thunder Warrior, the brutal but mentally unstable predecessors of the Space Marines
- a clone of the Chaos Primarch Fulgrim
- powerful relics from the past, especially from human history
Some exhibits, especially those showing situations, are not included as actual items in the collection but rather in the form of holograms… which, however, have consciousness.
Among his perhaps most notable collectibles is Inquisitor Greyfax, whom he captured along with her entourage. The Inquisition is one of the most dangerous organizations of the Imperium, and capturing someone like that is certainly not easy. By the way, it didn’t last very long: Greyfax eventually escaped.
From Mechanical Annihilators to Reasonable Preservers
Originally, the Necrons were just soulless machines that sought to annihilate all biological life in the galaxy. However, this has changed over the years in the lore, and Trazyn is one of the best examples of this.
Currently, the Necrons are seeking a way to reverse their biotransference and regain living bodies. Whether and how this works, is yet to be revealed in the upcoming lore.
As for Trazyn, you will soon see even more of him, even without reading the books about him, because the role-playing game Rogue Trader brings the kleptomaniac as a DLC with the fitting name “The Infinite Museion.”
Even though Trazyn has his own reasons for instigating or helping in a war somewhere, his intervention at Cadia was a crucial moment – even though he could not prevent the fate. Because the world is more than just a planet of humans: The fall of Cadia is one of the greatest tragedies in Warhammer 40,000 – What happened there?
