The Flayed Ones are Necrons twisted by the Flayer Virus, a madness that leaves them hungering for blood and flesh. They wear the skins of the dead, slip out of a pocket dimension to hunt, and terrify even their own kind.
What are the Flayed Ones?
They’re Necrons who’ve fallen to the Flayer Virus, a curse tied to the C’tan Llandu’gor. It doesn’t just damage their minds, it rewrites them. They stop caring about rank, orders, or strategy and start caring about only one thing: blood.
The skin they wear isn’t decoration. It’s a symptom. Flayed Ones drape themselves in the flesh and body parts of their kills, and that sight alone has broken entire enemy lines before a shot is fired.
How the Flayer Virus spreads and who it hits
Other Necrons treat the virus like a plague. Anyone infected gets exiled or destroyed on sight, because there’s no known cure and no way to predict who’ll fall next.
It doesn’t stop at warriors. Canoptek Spyders and False Necrons have both been infected. Even Lords and Overlords can succumb. If one keeps enough of his old personality, he’s called a Flayer King.
- Unnas, former Phaeron of the Ithakas Dynasty, fell to the curse
- Setekh, former Phaeron of the Hyksos Dynasty, fell to the curse
- Quellkah, a Cryptek of the Awakened Council, was also infected
- The Maynarkh Dynasty suffers from the curse, though many retain their sanity
The Flayer Dimension and how they hunt
Flayed Ones don’t march to war. They wait in a red pocket universe called the Flayer Dimension, and when they smell blood or hear carnage, they tear reality open with their claws and step through.
They’re not mindless, though. They’ll stalk prey for a long time, watching for a weakness before they strike. A Nemesor won’t build a plan around them or change tactics for them, because they don’t take orders and they don’t behave predictably. After a battle, commanders usually order them destroyed, and some always escape back to their dimension.
The Bone Kingdom of Drazak
In the northeast of the galaxy sits the Bone Kingdom of Drazak, a realm where every Necron except its ruler, Valgûl the Fallen Lord, is a Flayed One.
When the kingdom runs short on “food,” Valgûl declares a time of bounty and sends his people out to find more. It’s one of the clearest pictures of how organised Flayed Ones can be when someone rules them.
Why they matter
The Flayed Ones are the Necrons’ own worst nightmare made flesh. They show that even a deathless, soulless empire can rot from within, and that the C’tan left scars that don’t heal.
On the tabletop and in lore, they’re chaos in a usually disciplined army: unpredictable, terrifying, and impossible to fully control.
Key facts
- Flayed Ones are Necrons infected by the Flayer Virus of the C’tan Llandu’gor.
- They wear the skin and body parts of their victims.
- They live in a red pocket universe called the Flayer Dimension.
- Other Necrons fear and exile or destroy anyone infected.
- The Bone Kingdom of Drazak is ruled by Valgûl the Fallen Lord and is almost entirely Flayed Ones.
- Canoptek Spyders, False Necrons, Lords, and Overlords can all be infected.
FAQ
What causes the Flayer Virus?
It’s linked to the C’tan Llandu’gor. The virus drives Necrons insane with hunger for blood and gore, and there’s no known cure.
Can Flayed Ones be cured or reasoned with?
No. Other Necrons exile or destroy anyone infected. Flayed Ones don’t take orders and will attack anything, though they’ll tolerate other Necrons if there’s enough blood from other species.
What is the Flayer Dimension?
It’s a red pocket universe where Flayed Ones retreat between hunts. They tear their way back into realspace when they sense blood or carnage.
What is a Flayer King?
A Necron Lord or Overlord who’s fallen to the Flayer Virus but kept some of his old personality. He rules other Flayed Ones rather than losing himself completely.