Leagues of Votann

Leagues of Votann
Capital	Decentralized, Greater Thurian League being most powerful
Official Languages	Squat Lexicon, High Gothic, Low Gothic
Power	Great Power
Size	Galactic Core, a third of Segmentum Solar, several thousand Mining Worlds, many Holds of various sizes
Head of State	Decentralized, Leagues act as Head of State
Head of Government	Votannic Councils
Governmental Structure	Confederated Gerontocratic Supranational Union
State Religion/Ideology	Ancestor Worship
Demographic	Kin (Squats, Ironkin)
Military Force	Kinhost Forces, Kinhost Fleets

"Right after Mankind’s colonization of the galaxy came its first true golden age. Reared by machine prophets, the survivors of the Oedipal plagues built civilizations that equaled and even surpassed their Solar forbears."

– CM Koseman, All Tomorrow's

"Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach."

– David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

"Bite my shiny metal ass!"

– Bender, Futurama

The Leagues of Votann or otherwise known as the Squat Homeworlds (Or if you're in /tg/; as the Domain of Squats, Squat Territories, SPESS DORF FORTRESS is the areas in which one can find our beloved space midgets in the early days of 40k and its current modern reboot.

Back in the good old days, the then-named Squat Homeworlds, unlike other Imperial-aligned entities in the galaxy, enjoy a significant degree of autonomy. Whilst de jure, the Squat Homeworlds are part of the Imperium of Man, de facto it is its own self-sustaining and self-sufficient society unlike places such as Ultramar or the Adeptus Mechanicus which has an interdependent and semi-autonomous relationship with Terra.

Of course, we all know how the Squats were Squatted soon after making the debut, with the Tyranids somehow targeting only the Squat worlds whilst leaving the rest of the Imperium-controlled space right next door to the Squats largely untouched. This is ridiculous when taking into account that the territories of the Squats weren't some small speck like the Tau Empire, but rather, a significantly large domain that took up half of the entire Galactic core. This is made worse when taking into consideration that it was completely out of character for the Imperium to stop and do nothing against such a large incursion of Tyranid forces in an area considered astrostrategically important for them. Games Workshop's shitty excuse/explanation in removing the Squats from cannon had never really stood well within the community, let alone actual Squat players.

However, their reintroduction as the Leagues of Votann has somewhat radically changed their origins whilst still keeping some old lore modernised. The Leagues of Votann (also known as the Unsquatted Squats) is now a ""new"" faction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are gatherings of short abhuman clones called the Kin (more commonly known as Squats by the dirty Necromunda gangers), bound together by the Votann, super-cogitators from the Dark Age of Technology. Each League has its own Votann, and are organized in strongholds around it. They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations. Of course, since some factions are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with its closest ally, hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the setting, everything is not that simple. Since Windows is not regularly updated anymore and issues that have arisen from having remained active for literal millennia, the Votann began to deteriorate. If they want to repair their computer, they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power, the Kin have to once more brave a galaxy full of danger. Imagine if Italian Corporatists, the Monopoly Man, and the Evil Mining Heads in fiction were merged with the seven dwarves.

Rogue Trader Era Fluff

Given the sheer extensive history between the old and the new. This section will contain all the fluff from the old Rogue Trader days. For the sake of preventing page bloat, this entire section will be put in a collapsible page.

Historical Overview

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 were armed to the fucking teeth and prepared to go down fighting, and that trade was a more practical arrangement. 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, 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 '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.

Squat-Imperium Relations

Galactic map of the Squat Homeworlds.

First contact with the Squats by the Imperium began during the Great Crusade as the Emperor's forces reached the worlds near the galactic core. Many of these worlds were the Squat Homeworlds and, Squats being Spess Dorfs and Spess Dorfs being just regular Dorfs with tech, conflict became inevitable. Suffice to say, the Space Marine legions got their shit kicked in. Who would have wondered, that 8-foot tall supersoldiers would have trouble trying to fight in 5-foot by 5-foot tunnels with no cover whatsoever. Here's a fun hint, Empy's forces got creamed so hard it led directly to the development of the Mark 3 Power Armor.

The Emprah with all his infinite wisdom, decided that being on friendly terms with midgets all armed with D-Cannons and rapid-firing plasma machineguns is probably a good idea rather than engaging a war that might as well be the Imperium's Vietnam. So a treaty was signed to sweep the whole 'first-contact shenanigans' under the bus and get back to business.

The Squat Homeworlds as aforementioned, have long been part of the Imperium, but enjoy a level of autonomy greater than the ordinary self-governed Imperial world. Hell, the Squats are so autonomous that not even the Administratum can touch them. Instead, Squat Homeworlds are ruled by strongholds of leagues.

Nonetheless, the Homeworlds, while governing themselves without interference from the Adeptus Terra, are expected to follow Imperial policy on wider issues. Both the Imperium and the Squats benefit from this arrangement: the Homeworlds provide troops for the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard also provides military support to the Homeworlds when necessary, as they would any other threatened Imperial worlds (Space NATO). Additionally the Squats trade their mineral wealth exclusively with the Imperium in return for some sweet, sweet moolah. The Adeptus Mechanicus are highly interested in the Squats and the Homeworlds for several reasons: Squats possess a high level of technical expertise which seems to come naturally to the race. Additionally, the Homeworlds as a whole possess the greatest amount of surviving STC equipment in the Imperium. The Squats are said to allow the Adeptus Mechanicus free access to Squat technology. However it is also said the Squats keep their technology from other races, regarding the Adeptus Mechanicus as little more than sorcerers mired in superstition.

The relationship between the Homeworlds and the Imperium is therefore generally peaceful, although through history has been punctuated by bouts of war and bitterness. The Squats and the Imperium trade to their mutual benefit. Both races also share many enemies, especially Orks, making it in their best interests to cooperate. The Squats do not follow the Imperial Cult, rather they revere their ancestors. Squats fighting alongside the Imperial Guard often adopt the Emperor into their beliefs, as a guardian of their ancestors.

Squat technology is based upon the heavy mining equipment they brought with them to the Homeworlds. During their isolation from the rest of humanity they adapted it for other uses, notably exo-armour which was engineered from heavy mining suits. Squats continued to innovate and invent while humanity sank into a Dark Age. As a result, the Squats have developed technologies such as neo-plasma and warp cores far in advance of anything the Imperium owns. Some Squat technologies were absorbed into the Imperium, especially tunneling vehicles and weaponry such as the Termite.

Strongholds

Strongholds are Squat settlement centres. They were generally founded during the original colonisation and those produced later are known as Newholds. Strongholds also often join together under Leagues to form defensive pacts.

Generally a Stronghold develops around a mine and its associated living quarter although some later developments were not associated with mining. A hereditary Lord ruled each stronghold and was protected and supported by the Hearthguard. The Hearthguard were the elite of a Squat army and the servants to the Lord while also protecting the Lord when he went to war. Each Stronghold had a group of Brotherhood or War-Brethren which formed the core of the Squat armed forces for the Stronghold. Every Squat had an obligated 30-70 year service period although they may not be called upon to fight until they had sired two sons and raised them to maturity. This helped protect the continuity of the race from the Stronghold's military activities. A Squat could then retire from active duty with his honor and probably some wealth and take up a position of responsibility in his family's business.

The Brotherhood was often also seen as a mercenary force. In times of peace warriors were traded for resources to either fight for the Imperium or for other strongholds. Another member of the aristocracy was the Warlord, a close relative of the Lord who was there to be placed in control of the Brotherhood in order to prevent Lords from wielding too much power and sending their troops into battles they should not be fighting. Other Lords would send their Brotherhoods on expeditions which range from locating other ancient and lost strongholds to a campaign against an alien race or piracy. Some Brotherhoods had totally turned to piracy and become known as Squat Reavers. When they returned to their stronghold they distributed the booty between the pirates and the Lord of the Stronghold.

Squats had a requirement to provide forces for the Imperial Guard and this often took the form of a detachment of the Brotherhood.

Leagues

So what are Leagues? Well, in a nutshell, they are groups of strongholds working together for a common purpose - usually mutual defense - trade or dealings with the Imperium. Leagues varied greatly in size, the smallest consisting of four Strongholds and the largest consisting of over three thousand. The League of Thor was the most powerful and influential, including over 300 strongholds. The League of Norgyr was the league closest to Holy Terra. Now, under the new lore there exists the Leagues of Votann, each formed around a Votann ancestor core. Votann equipped leagues seem to be the only survivors as full scale polities in the Imperium, but at least some clans are known to have survived, usually working as engineers, miners and mercenaries.

A League usually encompassed the Strongholds on more than one planet with the latest extant being 700 known Leagues total. Each League was led and dominated by a single Stronghold. As some Leagues were virtually nations with distinct cultures, Squats often identified themselves with the League their Stronghold belonged to.

The Squats had a strong sense of mutual preservation, as it had been known for rival leagues to go to war with each another. Such occasions could lead to lasting enmity, as Squats were inclined to remember deeds of infamy for many generations much like the Book of Grudges from Warhammer Fantasy. The League of Thor and League of Grindel fought an unusually bitter war around 2,000 years ago when settlers from both sides clashed over the exploration of the Lost Stronghold of Dargon. The war that followed resulted in the destruction of several Strongholds and many key victories for the League of Thor including the capture of two other Leagues. Peace only came with the huge Ork invasion of Grunhag the Flayer which obliged all the Leagues to unify against their mutual foe. Although the war ended with the rout of the Orks, the two Leagues remained distrustful rivals and both sides considered the other side owing them debts of blood and honor.

Reboot Fluff

This section details the new and updated fluff from 2022 onwards. This deals with the Leagues and their similar but new background for the modern 40k narrative.

History

200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.

Even though the oldest living Kin don’t remember what their earliest days were like, some undeniable “First Truths” remain constant in the Votanns’ data tracks. One such truth is that the First Ancestors departed from ancient Terra prior to the Unification Wars to harvest the untold riches of the galaxy with the first holds being settled near the galactic core. What became of these Ancestors is unknown, but curiously when the Ancestors begun to fade away…the Votann are first mentioned.

A second First Truth is that the Kin have always been a cloned people. The Ancestors used genetic systems called “cloneskeins” to manipulate and modify their race’s molecular structure, and continue to define their overall division of labor. Over time the Kin became squatter, denser, and stronger than an average human growing no more than five feet tall max. They’ve even been able to artificially neuter their psychic footprint to avoid the attention of Chaos, in a not too dissimilar to how the Tau souls work. Other examples of this engineering can be seen in the Hearthkyn Warriors, who often are also engineered with particular cloneskeins that allow them to specialise in combat – heightened senses, improved stamina, and the ability to see better in the dark, to name but a few. In contrast, others augment their bodies for battle with mechanical limbs and synthetic organs, with members of the powerful Cthonian Mining Guilds being noted as extensive users of these body modifications. This is not that unexpected as that particular guild (which is noted as being a particularly extreme embodiment of the usual belligerent acquisitiveness of the Kin) is willing to fearlessly locate, secure, and harvest resources for their race from environments so dangerous that even other Kin would baulk at their hazards leading to a need for extensive augmentation on their part. Because of all the above, some fans are now speculating that GW is tying the Men of Stone thread to the modern Squat civilization (either to the Squats themselves or to the Votann) given the Men of Gold and Men of Iron have already been speculated to be Perpetuals and abominable intelligence. With the reveal of the “Iron Kin,” their fully-mechanical and true AI robot social class, who were designed with a prerogative to help their meaty cousins, this theory of the Kin being the Men of Stone could bear all the more weight.

At some point during the reconstruction after the Horus Heresy, the ancestors of the Ironhead Squats arrived from the Leagues to help with rebuilding efforts on Necromunda. However they somehow lost their Votann ancestor core in the process and so they ended up having to stay on the world long after the rebuilding was done so they could try and track it down, a search which still continues to this day and has resulted in them regressing technologically in the mean time. Maybe someone should tell them to go search Van Saar's basement.

With the formation of the Great Rift, the Leagues had lost a few holds and trade routes, pressuring them into expanding and gaining new trade routes, endorsing new colonization efforts, and slowly withdrawing from their semi isolated state.

Culture

I NEED MOAR

"So, we're talking about space dwarfs who need more RAM for their gods?"

– Anon

In the modern day of the 41st Millennium, the culture of the Kin seems very egalitarian, with no distinction between male, female, machine or otherwise amongst its members. United in the guidance of the Votann, the Leagues of the Kin operate with seeming unity, with the Kin working in unison for the betterment of their Kindreds, or so it would appear to outsiders. The truth however is a little more complicated than that though.

The Leagues are semi unified conglomerates of "family states" (a cross between nation states and extended family) called Kindreds, guilds, Freelancers, and kinhost armies. While the Leagues are very communal and chummy with their fellow kin, this does not stop the dark influences of a past long gone from seeping into their civilizations.

Entire planets and even systems with ecosystems and civilizations stripped to the bone, regardless of the ethics. Global magna extraction and tectonic delving allows the Kin to harvest whole worlds, populated or not. Evacuation may be offered, but not always. Ferocious competition between Guilds and freelancers, who have taken on the mantle from dark age corporations, merc groups, independent contractors, and cartels and follow the philosophy of "When someone has what you want, why not take it." While the Kin do live to serve their fellow kin, their societies, and their ancestors, they are also filled to the brim with society-wide greed and hunger. As individuals, they may or may not have such hungers, but as communities they will devour entire worlds. Not even the universe itself will be enough for their wants.

This does not mean they are the type to cut corners. Far from it. Like their many Dwarven counter parts in other media, one of the things they appreciate is fine ass Craftmanship. No planned obsolescence, shoddy piss water, and easy to break communicators here. Only the best in quality is acceptable (or at least, the best they can make). And this is not even such a difficult feat for them. High quality mass produced goods is the norm for League society, with their high technology and industrial society. Many of their holds are even live-in factories, constantly churning out master crafted items at a constant pace. The Leagues overall conduct resource extraction, industry. and technology developments on a vastly larger scale, making the Imperium look puny in their developments by comparison. And unlike the imperium, they dont dig for the ore required, wasting time and lives. the Kin instead sees that whatever asteroid or world they are working on can just be torn apart, and the remnants plucked out the wreckage

But despite all their comforts and conveniences, they are still a hardy people who revere their ancestors and promote the importance of sacrifice.

Technology

Let's not beat around the bush here, their stuff is straight up better than the Imperium's. While they didn't retain everything after the collapse of the golden age of Man, they retained far more than their Imperial counterparts, to the point where they can at least echo DAoT society and its tech. While much of the Leagues tech is reminiscent of the Imperium's, it's is LEAGUES better than what they have.

They can edit their souls. They can make stable mutations and psykers. Their guns hit harder and faster, and even their basic infantry can prove to be trouble for your average space marine. Agri-worlds? Why grow your food using outdated primitive farming methods when you can grow, and make your foodstuffs in your factories, labs, and indoor facilities. Cybernetic implants and genetic modification is the norm, and advanced helper AI citizens walk the streets as equals. They have advanced ion weaponry, something that terrified the shit out of the Imperium to the point where they just straight up banned it. And unlike the unstable, insecure, filthy, and crime-infested hive worlds with their hive cities, Holds could be considered closer to actual fortified arcologies than the hive cities ever were. They also make use of exotic materials (Much of the kins weapons contain exotic material not found outside the galactic core) like Dark star ore, which is extremely dangerous to life, as just a single cut can cause death as the universal dampening field the material emits can halt all mechanical and organic functions. Because of the dangers, the material is mined and shaped with exceptional care, and is only wielded by those who could be trusted with such a equally dangerous and tactically valuable weapon. They have almost flawless teleportation technology, so kin can be deployed without significant risk. It can even be used tactically. Another one of amazing devices are pan spectular scanners, which allow the Kin to find a enemy’s location, not only through walls and objects, but also through the warp. They also have stellar siphons that drain the stars themselves as the cithonic mining guilds take whatever resources they need, and even the most terrifying of galactic phenomena are reaped through atom delving and transotheric resubstantiation. The Kins warp drives and Gellar field are superior to the Imperium’s, making travel safer and more reliable. They utilize their ancestor cores like mini Astronomicans because they are so big brained, they shine in the warp fullfilling a similiar albeit less effective version of the Astromomican. Also since they don't dive headfast into the Warp like Imperial vessels do their ships are generally slower than their Imperial counterparts. However the kins methods of warp travel are far safer and more predictable than the Imperiums methods which they feel far outweighs a slower travel speed. Thanks to said superior shielding tech, shielding developments are also prevalent in the physical realm, with weave field generators employing a technique where different energy fields overlap and interlock over a range of frequencies and exotic energies. Weave field generators are compact and efficient, and can be use as personal shields and can even be projected onto entire areas, which is useful for mining. They can scout for minerals and space hulks while in the warp. They have plasma blades made entirely of plasma. Many of their weapons are augmented with HunTR modules, which connects to the Kins neural implants, and help bring the best possible firing solution that can be achieved. Their Brôkhyr have mastered the manufacturing of Focusing lenses and other components necessary to produce a sustained stream of energy, leading to focused beam technology that can be used on and off the battlefield, such as their mining and excavation industries. Much of the kins weapons contain exotic material not found outside the galactic core. And like their more peaceful interex counterparts, their ships are FUCK HUGE, to the point where they dwarf even the largest of the Imperium's interstellar vessels. They can even move entire planets. Their Volkanite weapons have remained the same, with few alterations, but the fact that they can still make them commonly puts them way above the imperium. Like it was said earlier, strictly better.

Unfortunately for them, much of the tech they didn't retain was the top of the line tech, things like the Votanns. Due to this, while they can emulate most of past pinnacle human civilization, their development and research has slowed down to a crawl thanks to their big moai heads also slowing down (which does the work not many in the galaxy could ever do, thanks to their smarts). Until this is fixed (if it ever will be), they are stuck behind the Eldar and the Necrons technologically. But hey, at least they aren't on the Imperium’s level of decay.

Aspects of League society

• Leagues: Conglomerates of family states united for better economic and defensive potential. Competitive, but not to the point of self destruction and to the point where it gets in the way of productivity. Looks down on the Imperium. Hates the eldar because they are entitled bastards who are bad for business. Some are business partners with the Tau and gives them ion guns and other goodies. Loves their Votanns to point of self sacrifice. Their numbers greatly outnumber the populations of the upstart tau and the dwindling eldari, yet their population is still far fewer than the imperium obviously (they are still described as having formidable and vast interstellar empires however). Loves their Galactic core due to its crazy amounts of wealth and minerals, and it being quite inhospitable to the other races (which they were made to live in). There is no exact number of known Leagues, the Kin find no use in keep track of it. Can often be in nomadic (living in spacefaring holds). Currently trying to fix up their broken trade routes after the Great Rift appeared.
• First Ancestors: The DAOT colonists (engineers, miners, etc) who journeyed to the galactic mineral-rich core in generation ships as part of a large colonization effort. Not much else is know about them besides the fact they disappeared when the Votann first appeared...
• Votann: Super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with Ancestor Cores with their self-organizing datastacks and quantum infocores. They communicate with the Kin via a tangle of arcane technology called a "Fane" and through the special class of Kin priest-psykers called the Grimnyr. All members of the Leagues after they pass on are returned and recycled by the ancestor cores in somber ceremonies, both mind, and body. Even the ironkin are not immune to this fate, as while they are long-lived, they will eventually slow down to a crawl and breakdown. The minds and uploaded data are kept in the Votann, while the bodies are recycled to make new kin. They are currently breaking down and developing "personalities", with calculations that normally took hours taking decades, if not centuries to complete. However they can still be modified by the kin (often at the votanns request). Curiously, they also serve another purpose of acting as mini Astronomicans for the Leagues, due to their vast intellect literally shining in the warp. Has been stated that the "Votann belong to the Kin as Kin belong to the Votann". Often act more like advisors and repositories (none of them have been leaders). Due to their degradation and age, some of the Votann have even lost the ability to produce more kin (Brokhyrs and Ironkin Guilds can produce more ironkin, but they are of lower quality than what the ancestors could create). The ancestor cores have been stated to have been on the first generation ships.
• League Leadership tends to be broken down as follows:
  • Votannic Council: A League’s ultimate ruling body presumably second only to the Votann themselves. Stubborn, and are slow to change their minds or come to decisions. Elections in the Leagues generally are extremely heated. Needed for full on wars (local conflicts excluded).
  • Guild Masters: Guild Leaders who have worked their way up through the Leagues meritocracy. Note that there can be multiple guild masters on the council.
  • Brôkhyr Forge-Master: The absolute cream of the crop from the forges of the Leagues, they not only have proved their ability to create technological marvels,but over see their development as well. They also bring the fury of the Forge to the battlefield, delivering council to the warriors on the field as well.
  • Lord Grimnyr: The ultimate representative of the Grimnyr, who embodies wisdom, guidance, and insight. The Lord Grimnyr acts as the voice of the Votann itself, acting as a walking conduit for both their lore and gestalt might. This role is not purely a ceromonial or advisory role, for it is incumbent upon the Lord Grimnyr to walk the battlefield as the eyes, ears, and voice of the Votann, dispensing wisdom to friends and allies, and unleashing the wrath of the Ancestors. It is not known how they are selected for the position.
  • Grimnyr: Kin psykers that wield massive amounts of power. Capable of accessing "empyrically archived" Votann wisdom. They are probably deeply tied to the Votanns and represent them in their wing of the Leagues governments. Probably Definitely have very long beards.
  • High Kâhl: The ultimate military commanders of the kinhost militaries. To be named High Kâhl is both a tremendous honour and a awesome responsibility. To be elected a High Kâhl, the incumbent must go beyond just a tremendously capable warriors ,and a indomitable battlefield leader. They must master the cruel calculus of war itself.
  • Kinhost commanders/senior Officers: The military leaders of the Kinhost militaries that rank below the High Kâhl.
• Kindreds: A combination between nation state and extended family, essentially the societies that make up the Leagues. Generally lives in holds (although it's population is encouraged to go travel throughout the galaxy and make their ancestors proud). They are very communal in nature, and their populations range from a couple dozen to the millions. Each one is governed by a Votannic council. They have their own aspects which are called the Four Pillars:
  1. Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
  2. Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
  3. Thane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
  4. Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made
  5. Hearthspake: In a given hold, the Hearthspake is the governing body, no matter how big or small. They are a council comprised of Guild representatives of particular commercial groups, the hold's attendant Grimnyr, as well as the leaders of the hold's Kinhost, such as the Kahl.
• Kinhosts: The militaries/militias of the Leagues, made after the kindreds united and combined their militaries. Soldiers are typically drawn from the civilian populous, but are not restricted to kinhosts only, as depending on their decision (after they completed their oath of service to their Kâhl), the soldier may return to civilian life after they have done their service. Objectives range from protecting colonization efforts, protecting resources extraction operations and other guild/kindred interests, and overall defense to annihilating entire worlds because they know too much. Has a slightly overall civilian look to them (but are still more deadly than Imperial forces). The forces within the kinhosts militaries (called oathbands), are extremely flexible on what they consist of. Some of these oathbands can even consist entirely of mercenaries.

• Guilds: The overall backbone of the Leagues. Independent commercial groups. Builds holds and everything else. Regulates and manages almost everything, and oversees fair competition( but are not necessarily overbearing). Does not like cutting corners. Very competitive and ruthless in general. Is unofficially apart of the government. Typically doesn't leave their own holds. Does not like Freelancers and outcasts (and the occasional rival guild). Every aspect of life and production is affected by the guilds. Clonskin guilds exist and work to improve upon and stabilize cloneskins. Ironkin Guilds exist as well.

• Freelancers: Independent contractors, mercenaries, traders, explorers, plumbers, etc. Does the same thing as the guilds except with less political influence and resources. Not too fond of guilds

• Holds: The homes of the Leagues and its organizations and populous. Typically enclosed and fortified, holds vary in type and size. Can range from underground tunnels and narrows, to fortified bunkers and live in factories, to hive cities and ecumenopolises. Also comes in the form of space stations, asteroid colonies, and ships. Industrial and high tech in nature, yet very cozy with a lot of empasis on community, closeness, and interaction. Essentially hive cities except not shit and on steroids. Contains "Hearths", which act as the hearts of the holds, providing heat, light, and recycled air, and overall let the kin thrive. Hearths also act as reactors for the Kins holds, powering up all their electrical needs.

• Kin in general/clonekin: The general population of the Leagues. Mainly consists of ironkin and clonekin (although, there could be more). Tough as nails, and artificial in nature. Comes from "crucibles" (which they prefer due to regular reproduction diluting the genetic quality of offspring. Generally enhanced by both biological and cybernetic means. Very intelligent and industrious. Loves their ancestors to death. Loves their Kin and kindreds. Loves making their master crafts. Loves living in their fortified holds (but will go out into the galaxy to serve the ancestors, their guilds, and their communities). They get to pick their own names (excluding their family names, which they get from the names the crucibles has attached to it, and its considered rude to change), and gain more throughout their life from fellow kin like "Orkslayer". Loves their individuality and mutations (although some cloneskin templates and mutations can actually lower the lifespan of a clonkin, along with clonekins who had their production accelerated). Far from uncommon for them to get plenty of physical alterations. They were also made to resist and endure the warp and its corruptions, dampening their souls (note: they are masking their souls brightness, not actually dimming down their souls) for better protection. They also have high amouns of white blood cells, which allows them to greatly resist disease, and heal swiftly. Some can see in infrared.

• Ironkin: The League have Men of Iron now, or at least true AIs. Appears to be comparable to a Servitor, although distinctly described as being treated as equal to the fleshy Kin. The Ironkin can mimic their living counterparts’ every behavior and demeanor, but display no sense of ambition and are hard-wired with a desire to be helpful. Their bodies are all built for a unique purpose and cannot be easily replaced should they be damaged. One such purpose are the Wayfinders, which are the supercomputer, squatty equivalent of Imperial navigators, allowing the Kin to traverse the Warp without the need of psykers, and thus reduce the threat of daemonic incursions. All ironkin have a CU, or Cerebral Unit, and a mechanical body, both of which are unique to each individual ironkin. The CU's themselves are nigh indestructible (with microfield generators woven into the structure of the unit), and can send out distress beacons. Since Kin are kin, these are high priority for recovery.

• COGs: Are essentially the lower forms of ai, automatons, and algorithms the Leagues possess. Akin to tau drones (yet still more advanced). Does much of the menial jobs and such in the Leagues, along with being utilized in combat as well, and overall helps automate the Leagues of Votann. Probably still treated better than servitors (especially considering they look like ironkin).

• Outcasts: Hippies, troublemakers, and those Kin who do shit like performing illegal experiments, probably.

Known Leagues

• Greater Thurian League: One of the original founding Leagues and the poster boy League. Has a teal color scheme. Largest of the Leagues, spreading over a wide expanse of the galactic core and very influential on the other Leagues. Includes over 200 allied kindred holds, and it contains the biggest guild. Very wealthy and expansionist, they have a lot of military might and resources at their disposal and they want to expand their reach. Their members think they epitomize what it means to be Kin. Are uncompromising with their mercenary attitude. Apparently, their grim, methodical pragmatism is an inspiration to other Leagues. The Kin’s special character Ûthar the Destined hails from this League.
• Urani-Surtr Regulates: A determined League constantly being invaded by groups of Orks, Tyranids, and Necrons, despite this the League is determined to fight to the last person standing. Their colors are greens and brown. Their kin live on the minimum and are currently at war with a necron world (and by extension the Necron Sunnok dynasty). Are stoic, pragmatic, and abhor waste like most other Leagues, though they are noted for being less concerned with the cost of lives and material for battle to prevent giving up ground. Likes to keep their population counts high for their oathbands. No kin admitted to the Urani-Surtr Regulates has ever left.
• Trans-Hyperion Alliance: The most puritanical in their worship of the Ancestors. Sacrifice has more importance to them than the other leagues. Their colors are mostly orange and white. They enjoy collecting data and new info for their Votanns. They are a nomadic league, spread out not only across the galactic core but beyond, into far space with their 3 Votanns being stored in heavily armed ships. Their prospectors are known for venturing the width and breath of the galaxy in search of resources, and the League’s Hernkyn Pioneer riders are extremely skilled and considered genuinely exceptional by the other Leagues. This lifestyle is driven by the requirement to enrich their Votanns, which for the Trans-Hyperion Alliance is a reward in and of itself.
• Kronus Hegemony: Also known as Kôrynn’s Kindred they are the most militaristic and aggressive league (to the point of being aggressive even to other leagues). Their color scheme is yellow and black. They are a relatively new league formed less than millennium ago. Ork WAAAGH!s, Tyranid swarms, and many other threats have been broken by the mighty kinhost of the Kronus hegemony. They are known for having a harsh reputation, due to their strictness and quotas. The formation of their league was due to their League’s Fane (computer systems) achieving self-awareness and transforming into a full blown Votann which has subsequently been demanding the Hegemony should always be gathering resources; Kindreds that join have to pay a hefty price to join and then have to pay hefty tributes through conquest. They also already pissed off the other Leagues in territorial disputes. Despite their reputation, they are still seen as a boon for the other Leagues due to their defensive capabilities.
• Ymyr Conglomerate: A massive and ancient power bloc. Has a red color scheme. Few value quality craftsmanship more than the Ymyr conglomerate. They have long ventured beyond the core trading and operating all over the galaxy. They are the richest League, having the best living standards to boot. Even for the other Leagues, they appear decedent. They also have a higher amount of high-quality weaponry and equipment for their kinhosts.
• Seran-Tok Mercantile League: Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. Probably confirmed to be the Demiurg.
• Grand Orion Compact: Their Votann was destroyed by Orks from WAAAGH! Morbok resulting in a grudge against the green skins and starting a 500 year long war of extermination against the members of that WAAAGH!
• Emberg Agnir Bloc: Destroyed by Tyranids. Their Votann absorbed their biomass to deny the Tyranids their prize as revenge, which drove the Votann mad, turning it into "The Mad Core", which causes fluctuations in the Warp impeding travel near their former hold, which brings up a lot of fluff questions of its own. How exactly does a mechanical supercomputer assimilate an entire hold/league? Was it something like Lucius, where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing where all the dorfs jumped into an acid vat so their biomass could be used by their god? Either way, their Votann may have been one of the few Cores left able to react quickly, not that it'll be of much use now. Probably a callback to the original demise of the Squats.

Noteworthy Kin

• Ûthar the Destined: A great Kahl from the Greater Thurian League that has a mysterious objective and destiny, prophesied to complete a great task. He’s a ruthless warrior armed with masterfully wrought weapons, including the legendary Blade of the Ancestors, and has a gift for assessing enemy foes.

Relationship/interactions with other factions

Galactic relations in general: The Kin will leave most of the denizens in the galaxy alone, so long as they aren't getting in-between what the Kin want. The Leagues of Votann trade outside the core through a range of names, though these are rarely of their choosing this has caused confusion and misunderstanding over who these mercenary adventurers really are. To those who are in their way however (unwillingly or not), the Kin are a tough nut to crack. Even far from the more secure area that is the galactic core, the Kin are a armoured, fortified, bunkered down, advanced, and tactical juggernaut. More often than not, the Kin succeed in their conflicts, and even the more major players of the galaxy find them difficult. On occasion, a resistant population may be deemed too strong for any conflict to be worthwhile, but most of the time any resistance will be swept aside or ignored. The Kin have no compunctions about tearing open the crust of a world whilst the population still dwells upon it, however sometimes a evacuation can be negotiated. To those on the kins good side, they are invaluable business parts. To those on their bad side, they are a force of ruthlessness and greed.

Ironhead Squat Prospectors: See each other as distant cousins who can share a pint in the pub and complain about the Aeldari.

Tyranids: In the Imperium of Man, the Tyranids hunt you, in the Leagues of Votann, the League hunt Tyranids. Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Kin are wary of the Nids and have gain a grudging respect for their effectiveness and adaptability. Whilst the Nids still view the Kin as biomass, they themselves also stay clear away from them as the Leagues are known to scout out and hunt down entire Tyranid hive fleets to harvest their resource bounties. Moreover, the high technological levels and large presence of automatons makes fighting the League a sunk-cost fallacy for the Tyranids such as in one example with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited an odd nesting behavior not seen elsewhere. They have proven difficult to eradicate, and have brought devastation to the Urani-Surtr Regulates. The Kin see the danger of the Tyranids, following the destruction of the Emberg Agnir Bloc. It was made up of a few dozen kindred and found themselves in the path of hive fleet Leviathan. The League was wiped out. The Votann was left untouched. It absorbed the bodies of its fallen Kin to deny the Tyranids the biomass, and was driven mad, becoming the mad core, and causing fluctuations in the warp that disrupt travel. Nevertheless, such endeavours still prove too risky for the Tyranids and, given the League's habit of hunting their fleets down like giant whalers; the Hive Mind has put the League on the same level as the Necrons in terms of GTFO.

Tau: They view the Leagues as grand benefactors and business partners of the Greater Good and the Tau Empire - although they could certainly improve their view points and dedication to the cause. They are also really happy with their new technology they received from the Demiurg and the Leagues, with their ion technology being extremely popular among the Tau's forces. The Leagues see the Tau as a very naïve and young people, though they appreciate the value of the greater good as it shares similarities with their own philosophy, putting Kin first. The Tau are more than happy to pay the Leagues, though the Kin rarely share their more advanced developments. As an example, the Kin's ion tech is superior and far more compact than the Tau's. Thanks to the extreme naivety of the tau, the Tau actually think the few ships they see from the Leagues are all that is left of the Kin, following a invasion from the Tyranids. These rumors have been rebuffed by the kin, much to the confusion of the Tau. The Kin see no value in enlightening them in this regard so long as the can continue to profit from trade with the naïve civilization. With the advances of the empire in the Chalnath expanse, there have been some minor clashes with the various factions of the Kin, which may have somewhat soured some local relations. Kind of. Nothing that money can't fix, though.

The Imperium of Man: View the Leagues as useful and good enough for trade, yet they're also sketchy abhumans who stray too far from the holy human form and are probably heretics, though they don't seem as quick or eager to put these ones down nor whip out any Exterminatus moves on them. On the world of Necromunda at least, they are looked down upon as Squats despite all they've done for the world. Likewise, the Leagues view the Imperium as a bunch of disappointing dumbfuck competitors - although they're still good enough for trade. Will surprisingly be honest about their usage of AI if pressed on it (which of course pisses the Imperium off). On some Imperial worlds like Necromunda, the Kin have been there since their Imperial records started. Rogue traders are more than happy to deal with the Leagues, though their extravagant life styles are considered wasteful by the kin, and deals are made with governors of Imperial worlds and systems, for a suitable fee. The more zealous of the Imperium deem the Kin as sanctioned xenos, if not abhumans. And at one point, the Demiurg had a automated mining facility that was infiltrated by the alpha legion. Overall, the Kin treat them as any other species.

Aeldari: Guess. They like to keep their meetings brief and few as the knife-ears aura of arrogance and entitlement pisses the Kin off.

Dark Aeldari: Guess again. Unlike the Tau who were dumb enough to trust the S&M gimp suit wearing weirdos at one point, the Kin are smart enough to not have wanted anything to do with the perverted pasty sweat goblins.

Harlequin: Weird creepy clowns that are to be avoided.

Aeldari Exodites: Guess thrice. Although, the Kin actually do respect them for their more practical nature. Still more than happy to invade for resources though.

Necrons: The Necrons consider the Kin to be another upstart race, though with a level of trepidation. Not only are they considered remarkably dangerous foes to fight, the Kin also delve deep into their worlds, breaking into tomb complexes, and plundering the rich harvest within. To the Kin, the metallic aliens are easy pickings while they sleep, and vicious foes when roused. Typically shoot on sight levels of diplomacy. They already war with the Urani-Surtr Regulates for control over one of its main worlds. The involved Necrons is the Sunnok dynasty.

Orks: The Orks are the Leagues most hated Foe, as not only are they pervasive, they are also endlessly wasteful, fighting and destroying what the Kin have built, and The Leagues have been as successful as every other civilization in eradicating the Orks. The Orks are not stopped by the dangers of the core regions, and Ork pirate raids are a particular concern, with Orks like bog da freedin king and his numerous fleets pestering the Leagues. The Orks tendency to use whatever scrap they can get has led to the creation of the saying "a prize for a Ork" , used to describe things or ideas that are worthless to the Kin. The 500 years war was fought against WAAAGH Morbok after they overran the Grand Orion Compact's Hold of oriax iron gate kindred. The Votann in the hold was torn to pieces, the most widespread grudge in the history of the Kin was called, and the Compact spent the next five centuries hunting down every single Ork from WAAAGH Morbok.

Chaos: They find the Leagues to be a major pain in the ass as they actually have at least some idea on how to deal with chaos unlike their Imperial counterparts. They dimmed their souls, use soulless A.I. to pilot through the warp, have top notch security, and live high quality and comfortable lives in their holds. They see little to even no chaos corruption in the Leagues and will probably see more losses than wins with them. The Kin of course are absolutely disgusted by them, and have little time for their gruesome and foolish activities

The Adeptus Mechanicus: A series of mental breakdowns and cybernetic overloads occurs when Mechanicus members encounter the Leagues. Whether it's due to them seeing Heresy in the Leagues, or due to the many shinies the Leagues have, it doesn't matter. They will see the Leagues as major competition regardless of the reason, and move to claim the shinies for themselves. To the Leagues, the Adeptus Mechanicus are rats scurrying around a scrap heap. Superstitious tech cultists living on the successes of their ancient betters who's ignorance makes them dangerous. The Kin avoid them whenever possible, and are swift to eradicate them when needed.

Speculation/Theories

A bit of speculation around the Votann is if anything else in the setting will be retconned into/explained as being one. The most obvious candidate is the House Van Saar STC, described as being "large building" sized and "damaged" in that it's spewing out radiation, similar to the disrepair some Votann are said to be in albeit more extreme, and if it was a Votann it would explain why Squats are on Necromunda.

The Votann are fueled by alcohol.

Influences/Mythology/Aesthetic/Complaints

• The greater rage: The 2001 release of the Tau was spurred with anger, confusion, and revulsion. Even to this day in the year 2022, you'll still see swathes of the community that seethe at the mere mention of the Tau, deeming them as "weaboo space communists who aren't grimdark enough", or simply "another vile xeno who is irrelevant". And like its predecessor, the LoV is reaching similar levels of division and anger. But much like the decade that it was revealed in, the Leagues bring in a new scale of chaotic and unprecedented changes. This section is to help boil this down, and address complaints and confusion.
• Twentieth century futurism: There have been quite a few who have claimed that the LoV is "generic sci-fi" and "inconsistent in its design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of Fallout is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of mid-centrury futurism and classical sci-fi, with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid century 60s bike (gods sake, look at it's trailer). While you will find some of dieselpunk in the LoV and its not entirely just mid century aesthetics, atompunk has asserted its dominance here, Giving them a more civilian look. This also includes the look of the Ironkin (and to a certain extent UR-025 and the Kastelan Class Battle-Automata which look like mid century robots. Fact is, the LoV is a love letter to classic sci fi. But that's not all.
• Western/wacky sci-fi: If you haven't noticed from the bolter revolvers, the abundance of words like "Pioneer", "frontier", "rugged", and "hardy", along with the fact that the first revealed ironkin looks a lot like a western blacksmith, the amount of "simple" practical tools the Kin often carry, the Leagues have a lot of western influences. They also seem to still retain an air of comedic relief from their previous Squat forms. Expect future Firefly references, and a Votann answering with "42".
• Mass produced goodness: Unlike their many Dwarven counterparts, the Leagues are by no means the top industrial power house of the galaxy (the Necron and the Aeldari have them beat, along with most of the other species from around the time of the old ones). To be quite honest, they are more about industry as a theme rather than being the most industrious. However, one could say they are still the top non-prehistoric industrial in the galaxy. They could also be said to be the top powerhouse in the galaxy that is both operating at its full capability (Necron sleepiness), and still actively lives and colonizes the galaxy (Eldar and their hidey holes). And in comparison to their "competitors", are probably the most easily accessible due to them generally not wanting to instantly butcher you the second they even glance at you, or just tell you to get lost. As for the lower powers? The Imperium, while it's very industrial, its also incredibly inefficient and and often...dumb with its capabilities in general (Agri-worlds, under use of auto loaders, crappy servitors). And the Tau, while smarter than the imperium with their industrial capabilities, has far less potential with what they have.
  • Moving on from their position in the galaxy, why the industrial aesthetic? Well, first off, they're dwarves. Second off, as mentioned above, the other industrial factions are either too insufficient to carry out certain ideas and concepts, or are too hidey. The Leagues are in the perfect position to introduce potential new concepts to the universe, like not crap hive cities, dyson spheres that don't belong to the Necron, megastructures, and potentially much more. it's a nice change of pace to see an actually efficient industrial that isn't controlled by ancient aliens.
  • Thirdly, you need a little grime and practicality to that atompunk, and efficient industry is the perfect way to do it. Doesn't mean you can't have your cleanliness (and I'm pretty sure they'd prefer to not have pollution in their holds), just adds a tad bit of realistic imagery to it.
• Cleanliness, kin, and old world blues: Besides the reasons above, there is a reason the Leagues look so clean, organized, and sleek. This comes from the more grimdark and evil side of the Leagues (which is a little weird and unique). As previously stated before, the Leagues are a meritocracy overseen by guilds, wise long-bearded psykers, military commanders, and the mighty moai heads themselves. Said guilds are very competitive, and will not hesitate to strip to the bone entire planets with civilizations and ecosystems just to stay ahead.
  • So are they capitalist? Maybe. But while they've shown how they can easily have conflicts with themselves, one of their mottos is "Kin are kin". They also seem to be very egalitarian within their societies, On top of this, we've had previous examples of society reaching post scarcity levels of comfort, including even some Imperial worlds, and the friggin lower tech tau. They also seem to put high importance on community and fellow kin. Even the guilds wouldn't be caught dead cutting corners and making shoddy products (they regulate much of League society).
  • So socialists? Maybe. But really, the answer may be in-between (somewhat). Would certainly suggest looking up the guilds of post classical, classical, and pre-classical history to get a better perspective.
  • But we do know that they generally have a comfortable life and are very egalitarian. The guilds are competitive, meritocratic, regulate much of League society, and still come to blow with each other. What we can tell is that Leagues inner society is generally at least decent for its citizens. As for those who are outside of League society...
  • Expect to see a lot of neocolonialism, colonialism, client states, banana Republics, puppet states, potentially narco states, banana wars, and the 1893 overthrowing of the kingdom of Hawaii except 10x worse (and with more planetary genocide). As with their holds: dirty on the outside, clean on the inside.
• The mythological and the fantastical: This one is a total mashup. You got Celtic, Greek, Nordic, and other mythologies mashed in. The Leagues are named after Greek titans, and Nordic gods. The Votann are based off Odin. The Kin are Geri and Freki, odins greedy wolves. The leadership is based off odins ideal leadership (with the grimnyr being based off one of his disguise names).
• Silicon Knights and Too Human similarities: way back in 2008 the now defunct game company Silicon Knights released a game called “Too Human” for the Xbox 360 after over a decade of it being stuck in development hell. The game was based on reimagining Norse mythology through a cyberpunk lens. While the game flopped miserably due to its clunky control system some of its design elements seem suspiciously similar to the Leagues of Votann aesthetic including: exoskeleton equipped berserkers, combat transports that resemble the Hekaton Land fortress, the whole mega corporation of the Aesir, and the fact that Odin was reimagined in the game as an AI called the “Organic distributed information network” which bears a striking similarity to the idea of the Votann. Maybe someone in GW played the game and used it as inspiration for the Leagues? It wouldn’t be too surprising.
• Deep Rock Galactic: Similar to the above, the game "Deep Rock Galactic" may have spurred on GW's decision to reinvent the squats in some areas. Notably, the game is based on a company of the same name, which uses actual dwarves as their mercenary-miners to plunder a planet of all its wealth while fighting bugs. Themselves a corporatist, mercantile faction that prefers wealth over civility. Now, this game was released in alpha in early 2018, so it could be a little bit of a stretch to say if it's fully influenced much on the LoV, considering the lengthy design process GW has. It hasn't stopped WarCom from throwing in some tongue-in-cheek, potential references to the game, though. Plus, with all the "Rock and Stone"s and "For Karl!"s that players will throw out, it probably won't matter anyway.

Forces of the Kin

• Kâhl: Taking the place of Squat Warlords as leaders in their species’ military roster, they’re experienced battle hardened Generals who proudly wield the Leagues advanced weaponry, and are the final authority over an individual Oathband in the Kinhost militaries, they’re subordinate only to their Kindred’s ruling Votannic Council. Their most important role is to cast the Eye of the Ancestors over their foes — marking out priority targets and ensuring the most dangerous enemies are the first to feel the wrath of the Kin. Equipment wise they carry nifty ornate armor and weapons like the Kin equivalent to storm bolter, plasma axes, and Volkite equipped power fists. FOR KARL!!

• Brôkhyr: The engineers and lead craftsman of the Leagues, named after the dwarf of Norse mythology, Brokkr, who built Mjolnir. They just blow tech priests out of the water on every level, as not only do their (creatively named) A.N-vyl Terminals (just picture a 3D printer but for guns) have MANY full STCs inside that make all their guns all that and a bag of chips in comparison to those of the Imperium, but they're also not limited by dogma and orthodoxy when it comes to technological advancements, meaning they actively upgrade their shit. That being said while their specialty lies in engineering these folks are also more than willing to throw down with the best of them. When the Oathbands head to battle, the Brôkhyr will strap on powerful exo-frames to become the mighty Thunderkyn. Although not quite as scratch-resistant as the Einhyr Hearthguard’s exo-armour, since the powerful suits they wear were initially adapted from rugged engineering rigs, they can still take a hell of a pummeling and allow the Brôkhyr Thunderkyn to heft the heaviest man-portable weapons the Leagues can muster with ease. Hordes of their enemies fall before salvos unleashed from bolt cannons, while heavy infantry find themselves pierced by the unstoppable lances of SP conversion beamers, prospects that have made more than one enemy think twice before attacking them.

• Brôkhyr Iron-master: The Brôkhyr are the Leagues’ highly skilled techno-artificers, and the Iron-masters are the cream of their crop. They head into battle with a dutiful Ironkin assistant and a knack for repairing even the most beaten-up vehicles. Helping them are a gaggle of E-COGs – hardy combat and repair drones, lacking the intellect of a true Ironkin.

• Grimnyr: The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like fucking wizards in an army full of voidsuits and armor. Wearing robes over their Power Armor to the point that Dark Angels themselves looks like normies. The Kin now name their dwarf wizards after the false identity Odin took while on a bet from Frigg, from Norse Mythology (or ripping off the WHFB dwarf god Grimnir). Are essentially the Votanns eyes, ears, limbs, mouth, etc. They are able to access directly the data stores of the Votann using psychic powers, and communicates its will and guidance to their Kindreds and Leagues. They are the closet you'll to a priest in the largely secular Leagues. They also use barrier tech to help them harness the raw power of the immaterium in battle – such as summoning two mechanical CORVs that often hover alongside them as familiars (very similar to the ability of the gene stealer cults to summon familiars). Essentially mystical wise old sages.

• Cthonian Berserks: Hailing from the Cthonian mining guilds which are noted for venturing to environments even other Kin fear to tread, these furious and heavily augmented murder machines are a sci-fi reimagining of Slayers from WHFB. These frontline fighters originally began as Kin who enhanced the physical capabilities of their cloneskeins with cybernetic upgrades and cyberstimms, all the better to extract precious minerals from rad-plagued nebulae, explosive asteroids, and fathomless ocean depths. Now tasked with dealing with their people’s enemies they charge into battle with modified advanced mining gear like heavy plasma axes, concussion mauls, and power fists all while wearing little or no armor besides that which their cyborg augmentations provides. They also have mole mortars/ grenade launchers (for mining purposes of course).

• Hearthkyn Warriors: Because replacing i's with y's is so sci-fi and trademark friendly. The Hearthkyn are essentially identical in terms of origin as the Guardian Defenders of the eldar, in that they are the core infantry force of the Leagues' military that were conscripted from their civilian populations. However, rather than being a militia roused during times of conflict, the Hearthkyn are instead closer to real-world militaries, in that the soldiery serve for an extended period of time before going home to their civilian professions. Serving in the Hearthkyn, anyone can enlist: male, female, flesh or metal, as Kin are Kin, after all. The units themselves are equipped with all manner of hullabaloo Squat guns depending on their specialization, on the lighter end there are the Autoch-pattern bolters used for assault and laying down covering/saturation fire, there are also bolt shotguns, and bolt revolvers. On the heavier side there are volkanite disintegrators, ion blasters (whose technology the Kin apparently gave to the Tau much to the Imperium’s ire) and HYLas auto-rifles all of which are used to sunder the defences of heavily-armoured opponents. Finally there’s also specialized heavy weapons such as L7 missile launchers, EtaCarn plasma beamers, Graviton blast cannons, and magna-rail rifles. All these ranged weapons are supported by smart tech integrated into Kin battlegear. The haptic utility nerve transmission recalibrator modules – HunTR for short – interface with their neural augmetics to establish a feedback loop between firearms and their users. This system projects minute gravitational pulses to maintain a stable firing platform even while running at full pelt – or zooming along on a flying trike. For close combat they got plasma blades, plasma axes, and concussion weapons like gauntlets, hammers, and mauls that amplifies the kinetic energy behind a Kin’s strike enough to launch an Ork boy into the air. As for protection they wear their own brand of power armor called Void armour comprised of hardened jointed segments which are hooked into a void suit beneath. The suit is fashioned from magnaferrite weave, and often reinforced with adamantine and enhanced with microfield generators for a level of protection that any Imperial Guardsman would give their left gonad to have!
  • Theyn: Sci-fi spelling for the old Anglo-Saxon Thegns/Thanes (Fantasy Dwarfs had Thanes as heroes, so another connection there). They are experienced warriors that serve as squad leaders in Hearthkyn and Einhyr Warrior squads of 10 to 20 warriors and are able to arm themselves with a variety of hand-to-hand combat weapons, including brutal concussion gauntlets, plasma blades, and vicious plasma axes in addition to high quality ranged weapons. Theyns communicate with their squad with the aid of cybernetic implants – relaying strategic instructions from the commanders of the Oathband to their units, and can be differentiated from the other kin by the fancy animal headed crest mounted on the back of their armor.

• Einhyr Hearthguard: Named after the Einherjar of Valhalla, they are the newly-christened Hearthguard Terminators of old, being the honored warriors selected from a Kinhold's most accomplished fighters, clad in Exo-Armour. They're armed with a shoulder mounted grenade launcher, a hand-held Volkanite Disintegrator, and either a power first with a retractable plasma blade or a Thunder Hammer. Like regular Hearthkyn Void armor the Exo-armor also has the HunTR system of micro gravity field generators built in to help keep their aim steady allowing them to fire on the move.

• Einhyr Champion: Those who climb the ranks of the Einhyr that eventually became Champions. These warriors are clad in modified exo-armour fitted with mass-drivers for jump purposes and armed with vicious close combat weapons. They function as living battering rams, pulverising anything that gets in their way.

• Hekaton Land Fortress: A HECKA CHUNKY Heavy support tank that can double as a defensive emplacement. Packs overwhelming firepower onto a rugged frame, and can lug around a hefty 12 models. It can go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest and best battle tanks in the 41st Millennium thanks to its durable void armour. And it can be equipped with a variety of hefty weapons and devastating warheads – from the very nasty heavy magna-rail cannon to the SP heavy conversion beamer and a missile launcher apparently.

• Hernkyn Pioneer: THE TRIKES RETURN! AS HOVERTRIKES! And with a female driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a Harley and their baby came out a hoverbike. Hernkyn Pioneers are ridden by independently minded Kin who serve as scouts and outriders for the Kinhosts. They exchange the heavier armor of the Hyrthkin for lighter void suits backed up by armored trench coats, an old style pilot’s cap, and when necessary a gas or oxygen mask. Before you make the mistake of thinking they’re outlaw bikers though it should be noted that they are not seen like that at all amongst their own people. Rather in eyes of the Kin the Pioneers willingness to go off alone is considered courageous and selfless as they are putting their own lives at risk for the sake of their families, in effect making them the equivalent of the WFB Dwarf rangers. Anyway, to ensure they can keep riding for as long as possible the Pioneers make sure to carry any all equipment they might conceivably need with them at all times, from bedrolls to digging tools strapped to their rides. To aid them in scouting their trikes come equipped with multiwave comms arrays and pan-spectral scanners which are all quite useful for picking up strategically important data. Weapons-wise the riders can be armed with a bolt pistol, or a bolt shotgun, and a plasma blade for a backup, while the Trike itself was equipped with a magna-coil autocannon mounted on the front. In addition if the rider is willing to take along a passenger then it’s possible to mount another heavy weapon on the back of the vehicle like a rotary Hy-Las (high yield laser) cannon or whatever else might be needed. These weapons are linked to the driver and passenger’s implants via the HunTR system so they can fire on the move.

• Sagitaur ATV: A six wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, that takes its name from the centaur shaped constellation Sagittarius, the Sagitaur is used for surveying inhospitable alien terrain. The Sagitaur is a rapid-response ATV suited to scouting operations and lightning-fast armoured offensives alongside Hernkyn Pioneers. Its armoured carapace is durable enough to shrug off everything from rockslides to plasma blasts. Sagitaurs usually operate in pairs and are remarkably heavily-armed for their size, with a nose-mounted twin bolt cannon complemented by a swivelling turret weapon, such as a HYLas beam cannon, L7 missile launcher, or MATR autocannon. Once they’re right up in the enemy’s lines they will disgorge their troops, in the form of a full squad of infantry which can be split between the two vehicles, who can then go on to seize vital objectives.

• Colossus-class war engines: were briefly mentioned in a Warcom article where it’s stated the Ymyr Conglomerate Holds can wield more of them then any other league due to the Holds large number of skilled Craftsman and Engineers. Sadly we don’t have a stat line, nor do we have an image to confirm if these are indeed the same thing as the old Squat Colossus War Machine.

• Ironhead Squat Prospectors: An offshoot of the Kin that set up shop on Necromunda right after the Horus Heresy, and are busy doing dwarrowesque things, while also dealing with the locals that sometimes try to loot their stuff. While they're only distantly related to the Leagues with no direct affiliation, they're said to get along. There is a small but not high chance the'll be options on the table top as well since Kill team has a precedent for a small unit from one box being an option like the sister novitiate, at the very least make a good proxy/conversion.

• Cargo-8 Ridgehauler: the Squat land trains return! Well they have on Necromunda at least. These huge transport trucks with multiple trailers and strapped on weaponry are used by Squat prospectors and regular human folk to cross the ash wasteland and protect valuable shipments. They aren’t quite up to the standard of the old land trains but at least it’s something.

• Demiurg: Largely here because of non-direct confirmation, but WarCom confirmed that the Tau received their ion weapon technology from the Kin, whereas in Battlefleet Gothic they claim that it was from the Demiurg, another race of dwarf space-miners. Logically, the term "Demiurg" may just be what the Tau call the Kin, or the Demiurg may be another offshoot culture of the wider kin race like prospectors above. After all, their clone-skin’s capability in stressing divergent phenotypes means visibly different strains could possible (like different breeds of dogs or cats). Or they could be just a League like the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues that decided to throw in their lot with the upstart T'au Empire rather than being in the bottom of the Imperium's to-do list.

See Also

• Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Leagues of Votann(9E)
• Kharadron Overlords, their closest Age of Sigmar counterpart
• Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)

Gallery

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  They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.

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  dorfy thicc dorfy brick

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  ‘Ye want a piece a' me, lad??’

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  Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.

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  One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might

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  A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization

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  "UWU.exe: I wonder if our new friends will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"

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  Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...

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  Where have I seen that before? Oh.

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  Pictured: The real Space Vikings.

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  If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology

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  A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a Imperial

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  It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick

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  Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching

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  "Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."

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  A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn

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  Finally, the fucking furries don't have the monopoly on sweet beards