Editing Leagues of Votann (section)

===Historical Overview===
[[File:Squat-logo_banner.png|300px|right|thumb|The original emblem of the squats]]

The Squat Homeworlds were all worlds filled with rich mineral resources, which led the Human ancestors of the Squats to lay down, settle and mine the shit out of. Most of these were located within the galactic core where unique and rare minerals were found in abundance in exchange for being sterile and barren of life of course. But for the early Human colonists, it was a gold mine as [[Terra]] ran out of all of its resources, so the search for raw materials was needed. Their planet's gravity is great, usually two or three times that of Terra. Their atmospheres are either thin or non-existent. Even those planets with atmospheres are blasted by tremendous storms. But hey? Who gives a shit about all of that when you have all the resources to make you rich, and rich the Squats got.

Like the Gulf States, the Squats quickly took a monopoly on these minerals and started to get wealthy, and with money comes an increase in development and technological advancements. These planets became Mining Worlds and with the coming [[Age of Strife]], the Squats got themselves the good end of the stick by both inhabiting hostile worlds and cranking up the technological kazoo when the rest of humanity plunged into a galactic-wide [[shitstorm]].

Squat history can be split into several eras.

====Age of Founding====

The first is the Age of Founding, which is the Squat equivalent of the [[Dark Age of Technology]]. This is not technically the first period of the Squats as they had yet to evolve, but it is the time of the founding of the colonies that would become the Squat Homeworlds. Almost twenty thousand years ago contact between these planets and Terra was almost continuous, testament to the importance of these colonies. Terra also kept the worlds well supplied with that which they could not produce for themselves in adequate amounts, primarily food. This period lasted until the [[Age of Strife]].

====Age of Isolation====

The Age of Isolation corresponds with the earlier part of the Age of Strife - around eighteen thousand years ago. The galactic core was cut off from the rest of human space by the devastating Warp storms of the Age of Strife. Many worlds were swallowed by the Warp and disappeared forever, others were trapped in stasis and became lost. Most survived although they were separated from Earth and all contact was lost with the rest of the galaxy. During this time of isolation and danger the Squat worlds still in contact with each other began to organize for their mutual defense. It was at this time that the Squats began to refer to their worlds as the Homeworlds.

The Homeworlds remained isolated for thousands of years and their inhabitants learned to survive in a universe that was becoming increasingly hostile. Those that survived grew and prospered. Settlements were enlarged and fortified into impregnable Strongholds. They soon developed alternative technologies to make up for the lack of supplies from Earth.

During the isolation the complex system of Engineer Guilds developed. These Guilds were responsible for preserving technical knowledge and skills as well as training technicians, miners and other specialists necessary for the Strongholds. The Guilds transcended the Strongholds, allowing every Stronghold to benefit from the preserved knowledge as well as new advances in technology.

During this age the Leagues first began to develop from Strongholds allied for trading and defense purposes.

====Age of Trade====

The Age of Trade took place during a slight abatement of the warp storms during the Age of Strife and led to the Squats encountering other races, including [[Orks]] and [[Eldar]].

At the beginning of the Age of Trade, some strongholds were attacked, but the aliens quickly realized that the Squats [[RIP AND TEAR|were armed to the fucking teeth and prepared to go down fighting]], and that trade was a more practical arrangement. [[Just As Planned|The Squats took full advantage of their tremendous mineral wealth, which they traded for weapons, foodstuffs and high-technology systems.]] To this day, Squat hydroponic plants, [[Heresy|developed with Eldar help]], are among the most efficient food sources in the Imperium. The Squats remained carefully neutral in the numerous conflicts between Eldar and Orks, maintaining trade links with both sides. There were inevitably small wars from time to time, but for the most part the Squats' complex structure of treaties and trade agreements maintained a stable peace.

====Age of Wars====

The Age of Trade lasted for nearly three millennia, but finally collapsed when an enormous Ork battle-fleet, under the command of Grunhag the Flayer, attempted a full-scale invasion of the Homeworlds. Losses on both sides were astronomical, with vicious tunnel-fights through the mine workings and bloody pitched battles in the Squats' underground settlements. The Squats appealed to their Eldar trading partners for help against the invading Orks, but none was received.

The Age of Wars, as it became known, is regarded by the Squats as the blackest chapter in their history, and the double betrayal by Orks and Eldar gave rise to a cultural enmity which still persists. Many strongholds were wiped out by the Orks, and the traditional epic ballad known as The Fall of Imbach commemorates one such destruction. Even today expeditions are mounted from the Squat Homeworlds in search of lost strongholds, and these expeditions are often accompanied by Adeptus Mechanicus priests, eager to rediscover lost Squat technology to [[Blood Ravens|'burrow from'.]]

====Age of Rediscovery====

The Age of Rediscovery was the most recent phase of Squat history, corresponding to the Great Crusade and the current Age of the Imperium. As the Imperium recovered from the Age of Strife and began to reunite the scattered worlds of humanity, the Squat Homeworlds were rediscovered and contact with the Imperium was established.

The Imperium found that a distinct culture had developed on the Homeworlds, and that the Squats had moved outwards through the galaxy, extending their domains. Often they settled harsh planets similar to their own Homeworlds, but they also occupied more conventional worlds able to support normal Human civilization.

====Age of the Imperium====

The current phase in Squat history. It essentially details the various treaties between the Squats and the Imperium.

The experiences of the previous millennia has left the Squats with a strong sense of cultural unity and a fiercely independent nature, and instead of rejoining the Imperium as subject worlds, the Homeworlds negotiated a series of treaties which enabled them to keep their independence. The racial character of the Squats - hard-working, tenacious, honorable, and inimical to alien races - was almost perfect from the Imperial point of view, and the Imperium was content to allow them a great degree of self-government.

A detailed description of their relationship can be read below.