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Leagues of Votann

2022-09-16T08:15:58Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Influences/Mythology/Aesthetic/Complaints */

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[[File:Votann meeting.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Star Wars|200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.]]]]

{{topquote|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''}}

{{topquote|Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach.|David Mitchell, ''Cloud Atlas''}}

{{topquote|Bite my shiny metal ass!|Bender, ''Futurama''}}

The '''Leagues of Votann''' (also known as the [[Squats|Unsquatted Squats]]) is a [[retcon|""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. [[Powergamer|They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations]]. Of course, since some [[Adeptus Mechanicus|factions]] are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with [[Imperium of Man|its closest ally]], hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the [[grimdark|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, <s>[[Dwarf Fortress|they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power]]</s>, 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 drawves.

==History==
Even 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 [[psyker|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 [[Perpetual]]s and [[Machine Spirit|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==

[[File:1657022781779.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I NEED MOAR]]

{{topquote|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. [[Greater Good|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 <ref><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki></ref>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]]s:''' super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with [[Spirit stone|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 [[Machine Spirit|"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 [[Astronomican|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. <s>Probably</s> 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:
# Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
# Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
# Thane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
# Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made

*'''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 [[navigator|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 Hegenomy:''' 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. [[Awesome|Ork Waaaghs, Imperial crusades 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 Leagues:''' Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. <s>Probably</s> 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 [[Forge World|Lucius]], where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, [[Tomb World|using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later]]? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing [[Grimdark|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.

==Known Kindreds/Holds==

==Known Guilds==

==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. he 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:''' Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Tyranid invasions have caused an incalculable amount of damage to the Kin. Their hive fleets are given a grudging respect for their effectiveness, but the Kin have no pause in hunting them down should they stand in between them and their prize. The tyranids consider the Kin to be another source of biomass and will descend upon their worlds like any other, such was the case with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited a 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

'''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 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:''' [[Elf|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:''' [[Dwarf Fortress|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:''' [[Avatar|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 its 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 it's 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 it's design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of [[Fallout|Fallout]] is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of [[Isaac Asimov|mid-centrury futurism]] and [[Arthur C. Clarke|classical sci-fi]], with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid century 60s bike ([https://youtu.be/ySxEFuUrdio|for 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|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 black smith, 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|Firefly]] references, and a Votann answering with [[Approved Literature|"42"]].

*'''Mass produced goodness:''' Unlike their many Dwarven counter parts, 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.

*'''[[Video games|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 Warlord]]s 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!!

*'''[[Squat Thunderers|Brôkhyr]]:''' The [[Guildmaster|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.

*'''[[Living Ancestor|Grimnyr]]:''' The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like [[weeb|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.

*'''[[Squat Berserkers|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 [[Slayer]]s 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 [[Squat Trooper|Hearthkyn]] are essentially identical in terms of origin as the [[Guardian|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 [[Squat Thunderers|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 [[Squat Trike|TRIKES]] RETURN! [[Skub|AS HOVERTRIKES!]] And with a [[-4 Str|female]] driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a [[Squat Bike|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)]]
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VotannTrike.jpg|They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.
File:CNiuMZPWWNpatQNt (1).jpg|dorfy thicc dorfy brick
File: FW1NodbWYAA-Gzh.jpg|‘[[StarCraft|Ye want a piece a' me, lad??]]’
File:Sagitaur ATV.jpg| Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.
File:LeagueHold.jpg|One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might
File:Ironkin.jpg|A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization
File:Getbackintheironkinchen.png|"[[Weeb|UWU.exe]]: I wonder if [[Adeptus Mechanicus|our new friends]] will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"
File:CthonianBerserks.png|Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...
File:Wrathoftheancestors.jpg| [[Primaris Captain|Where have I seen that before?]] [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Captain1.jpg Oh.]
File:Kâhl.jpg|Pictured: The '''real''' Space Vikings.
File:Gangoftrikes.jpg|If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology
File:VotannPioneer.jpg.webp|A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a techpriest
File:Leaguemining.jpg|It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
File:Leagueanvil.jpg|Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching
File:Thunderkyn.jpg|"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."
File:LOV Army Shot.png|A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn
File:Votann Grimnyr.jpg|Finally, the [[Space Wolves|fucking furries]] don't have the monopoly on sweet beards
</gallery>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Governments & National Powers]]
[[Category:Under Development]]

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{{40k-Governments}}

Leagues of Votann

2022-09-16T08:04:58Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Relationship/interactions with other factions */

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[[File:Votann meeting.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Star Wars|200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.]]]]

{{topquote|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''}}

{{topquote|Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach.|David Mitchell, ''Cloud Atlas''}}

{{topquote|Bite my shiny metal ass!|Bender, ''Futurama''}}

The '''Leagues of Votann''' (also known as the [[Squats|Unsquatted Squats]]) is a [[retcon|""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. [[Powergamer|They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations]]. Of course, since some [[Adeptus Mechanicus|factions]] are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with [[Imperium of Man|its closest ally]], hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the [[grimdark|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, <s>[[Dwarf Fortress|they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power]]</s>, 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 drawves.

==History==
Even 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 [[psyker|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 [[Perpetual]]s and [[Machine Spirit|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==

[[File:1657022781779.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I NEED MOAR]]

{{topquote|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. [[Greater Good|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 <ref><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki></ref>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]]s:''' super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with [[Spirit stone|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 [[Machine Spirit|"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 [[Astronomican|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. <s>Probably</s> 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:
# Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
# Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
# Thane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
# Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made

*'''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 [[navigator|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 Hegenomy:''' 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. [[Awesome|Ork Waaaghs, Imperial crusades 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 Leagues:''' Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. <s>Probably</s> 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 [[Forge World|Lucius]], where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, [[Tomb World|using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later]]? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing [[Grimdark|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.

==Known Kindreds/Holds==

==Known Guilds==

==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. he 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:''' Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Tyranid invasions have caused an incalculable amount of damage to the Kin. Their hive fleets are given a grudging respect for their effectiveness, but the Kin have no pause in hunting them down should they stand in between them and their prize. The tyranids consider the Kin to be another source of biomass and will descend upon their worlds like any other, such was the case with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited a 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

'''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 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:''' [[Elf|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:''' [[Dwarf Fortress|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:''' [[Avatar|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 its 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 it's 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 it's design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of [[Fallout|Fallout]] is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of [[Isaac Asimov|mid-centrury futurism]] and [[Arthur C. Clarke|classical sci-fi]], with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid century 60s bike ([https://youtu.be/ySxEFuUrdio|for 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|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 black smith, 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|firefly]] references, and a Votann answering with [[Approved Literature|"42"]].

*'''Mass produced goodness:''' Unlike their many Dwarven counter parts, the Leagues are by no means the top industrial power house of the galaxy (the necrons 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 necrons, 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 a little "sleek", even for a advanced civilization. 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.

*'''[[Video games|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 Warlord]]s 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!!

*'''[[Squat Thunderers|Brôkhyr]]:''' The [[Guildmaster|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.

*'''[[Living Ancestor|Grimnyr]]:''' The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like [[weeb|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.

*'''[[Squat Berserkers|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 [[Slayer]]s 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 [[Squat Trooper|Hearthkyn]] are essentially identical in terms of origin as the [[Guardian|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 [[Squat Thunderers|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 [[Squat Trike|TRIKES]] RETURN! [[Skub|AS HOVERTRIKES!]] And with a [[-4 Str|female]] driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a [[Squat Bike|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)]]
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VotannTrike.jpg|They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.
File:CNiuMZPWWNpatQNt (1).jpg|dorfy thicc dorfy brick
File: FW1NodbWYAA-Gzh.jpg|‘[[StarCraft|Ye want a piece a' me, lad??]]’
File:Sagitaur ATV.jpg| Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.
File:LeagueHold.jpg|One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might
File:Ironkin.jpg|A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization
File:Getbackintheironkinchen.png|"[[Weeb|UWU.exe]]: I wonder if [[Adeptus Mechanicus|our new friends]] will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"
File:CthonianBerserks.png|Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...
File:Wrathoftheancestors.jpg| [[Primaris Captain|Where have I seen that before?]] [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Captain1.jpg Oh.]
File:Kâhl.jpg|Pictured: The '''real''' Space Vikings.
File:Gangoftrikes.jpg|If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology
File:VotannPioneer.jpg.webp|A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a techpriest
File:Leaguemining.jpg|It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
File:Leagueanvil.jpg|Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching
File:Thunderkyn.jpg|"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."
File:LOV Army Shot.png|A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn
File:Votann Grimnyr.jpg|Finally, the [[Space Wolves|fucking furries]] don't have the monopoly on sweet beards
</gallery>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Governments & National Powers]]
[[Category:Under Development]]

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{{WH40k-Factions}}
{{40k-Governments}}

Leagues of Votann

2022-09-16T08:02:38Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Relationship/interactions with other factions */

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[[File:Votann meeting.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Star Wars|200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.]]]]

{{topquote|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''}}

{{topquote|Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach.|David Mitchell, ''Cloud Atlas''}}

{{topquote|Bite my shiny metal ass!|Bender, ''Futurama''}}

The '''Leagues of Votann''' (also known as the [[Squats|Unsquatted Squats]]) is a [[retcon|""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. [[Powergamer|They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations]]. Of course, since some [[Adeptus Mechanicus|factions]] are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with [[Imperium of Man|its closest ally]], hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the [[grimdark|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, <s>[[Dwarf Fortress|they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power]]</s>, 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 drawves.

==History==
Even 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 [[psyker|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 [[Perpetual]]s and [[Machine Spirit|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==

[[File:1657022781779.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I NEED MOAR]]

{{topquote|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. [[Greater Good|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 <ref><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki></ref>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]]s:''' super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with [[Spirit stone|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 [[Machine Spirit|"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 [[Astronomican|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. <s>Probably</s> 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:
# Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
# Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
# Thane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
# Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made

*'''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 [[navigator|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 Hegenomy:''' 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. [[Awesome|Ork Waaaghs, Imperial crusades 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 Leagues:''' Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. <s>Probably</s> 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 [[Forge World|Lucius]], where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, [[Tomb World|using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later]]? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing [[Grimdark|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.

==Known Kindreds/Holds==

==Known Guilds==

==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. he 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:''' Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Tyranid invasions have caused an incalculable amount of damage to the Kin. Their hive fleets are given a grudging respect for their effectiveness, but the Kin have no pause in hunting them down should they stand in between them and their prize. The tyranids consider the Kin to be another source of biomass and will descend upon their worlds like any other, such was the case with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited a 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

'''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 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. 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 xenos. 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:''' [[Elf|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:''' [[Dwarf Fortress|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:''' [[Avatar|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 its 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 it's 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 it's design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of [[Fallout|Fallout]] is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of [[Isaac Asimov|mid-centrury futurism]] and [[Arthur C. Clarke|classical sci-fi]], with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid century 60s bike ([https://youtu.be/ySxEFuUrdio|for 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|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 black smith, 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|firefly]] references, and a Votann answering with [[Approved Literature|"42"]].

*'''Mass produced goodness:''' Unlike their many Dwarven counter parts, the Leagues are by no means the top industrial power house of the galaxy (the necrons 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 necrons, 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 a little "sleek", even for a advanced civilization. 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.

*'''[[Video games|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 Warlord]]s 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!!

*'''[[Squat Thunderers|Brôkhyr]]:''' The [[Guildmaster|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.

*'''[[Living Ancestor|Grimnyr]]:''' The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like [[weeb|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.

*'''[[Squat Berserkers|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 [[Slayer]]s 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 [[Squat Trooper|Hearthkyn]] are essentially identical in terms of origin as the [[Guardian|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 [[Squat Thunderers|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 [[Squat Trike|TRIKES]] RETURN! [[Skub|AS HOVERTRIKES!]] And with a [[-4 Str|female]] driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a [[Squat Bike|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)]]
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VotannTrike.jpg|They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.
File:CNiuMZPWWNpatQNt (1).jpg|dorfy thicc dorfy brick
File: FW1NodbWYAA-Gzh.jpg|‘[[StarCraft|Ye want a piece a' me, lad??]]’
File:Sagitaur ATV.jpg| Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.
File:LeagueHold.jpg|One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might
File:Ironkin.jpg|A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization
File:Getbackintheironkinchen.png|"[[Weeb|UWU.exe]]: I wonder if [[Adeptus Mechanicus|our new friends]] will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"
File:CthonianBerserks.png|Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...
File:Wrathoftheancestors.jpg| [[Primaris Captain|Where have I seen that before?]] [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Captain1.jpg Oh.]
File:Kâhl.jpg|Pictured: The '''real''' Space Vikings.
File:Gangoftrikes.jpg|If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology
File:VotannPioneer.jpg.webp|A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a techpriest
File:Leaguemining.jpg|It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
File:Leagueanvil.jpg|Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching
File:Thunderkyn.jpg|"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."
File:LOV Army Shot.png|A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn
File:Votann Grimnyr.jpg|Finally, the [[Space Wolves|fucking furries]] don't have the monopoly on sweet beards
</gallery>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Governments & National Powers]]
[[Category:Under Development]]

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{{WH40k-Factions}}
{{40k-Governments}}

Leagues of Votann

2022-09-16T07:57:11Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Relationship/interactions with other factions */

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[[File:Votann meeting.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Star Wars|200,000 clones are ready with a million more well on the way.]]]]

{{topquote|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''}}

{{topquote|Better a soulless clone... than a souled roach.|David Mitchell, ''Cloud Atlas''}}

{{topquote|Bite my shiny metal ass!|Bender, ''Futurama''}}

The '''Leagues of Votann''' (also known as the [[Squats|Unsquatted Squats]]) is a [[retcon|""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. [[Powergamer|They used the data stored to survive among the stars and maintain their culture across generations]]. Of course, since some [[Adeptus Mechanicus|factions]] are touchy about AI, the Leagues are very cautious when dealing with [[Imperium of Man|its closest ally]], hence their secretive lifestyle.

However, because of the [[grimdark|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, <s>[[Dwarf Fortress|they must wage war with other shitcoin miners for more processing power]]</s>, 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 drawves.

==History==
Even 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 [[psyker|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 [[Perpetual]]s and [[Machine Spirit|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==

[[File:1657022781779.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I NEED MOAR]]

{{topquote|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. [[Greater Good|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 <ref><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki></ref>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]]s:''' super-cogitators, which contain Gestalt repositories of unimaginable inherited wisdom and knowledge, along with [[Spirit stone|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 [[Machine Spirit|"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 [[Astronomican|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. <s>Probably</s> 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:
# Hearth: “the heart of the hold,” literally the heat and light their forges, recycle air, and let the kin thrive
# Forge: Here everything the Kindred needs is built, from weapons to life-support systems
# Thane: Where the Grimnyr interface with the Ancestor Cores
# Crucible: Where new flesh and blood Kin are made

*'''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 [[navigator|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 Hegenomy:''' 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. [[Awesome|Ork Waaaghs, Imperial crusades 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 Leagues:''' Has risen to prominence and profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire. <s>Probably</s> 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 [[Forge World|Lucius]], where the Mechanicus holed themselves up underneath the surface, [[Tomb World|using teleportation to send their forces up and retrieving the shatted out mechanical bits back later]]? Or is this some weird techno-vore thing [[Grimdark|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.

==Known Kindreds/Holds==

==Known Guilds==

==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. he 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:''' Known to the Leagues as “The Bane” the Tyranid invasions have caused an incalculable amount of damage to the Kin. Their hive fleets are given a grudging respect for their effectiveness, but the Kin have no pause in hunting them down should they stand in between them and their prize. The tyranids consider the Kin to be another source of biomass and will descend upon their worlds like any other, such was the case with the Northstar cluster, where the bioforms exhibited a 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

'''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/Leagues, with their ion technology being extremely popular among the Tau's forces. The Leagues see the Tau as as a very naive 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 Kins 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 naive civilization. With the advances of the empire in the Chalnath expanse, there have been some clashes with the various factions of the Kin, which may have soured some local relations

'''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. 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 xenos. 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:''' [[Elf|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:''' [[Dwarf Fortress|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:''' [[Avatar|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 its 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 it's 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 it's design". To be quite frank, this is a bunch of nonsense hullabaloo. Anyone who has enjoyed enough fictional settings like that of [[Fallout|Fallout]] is going to tell you that the Leagues is full of [[Isaac Asimov|mid-centrury futurism]] and [[Arthur C. Clarke|classical sci-fi]], with the atv looking like a 1960s moon buggy, and the Hernkyn chopper looking like a mid century 60s bike ([https://youtu.be/ySxEFuUrdio|for 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|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 black smith, 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|firefly]] references, and a Votann answering with [[Approved Literature|"42"]].

*'''Mass produced goodness:''' Unlike their many Dwarven counter parts, the Leagues are by no means the top industrial power house of the galaxy (the necrons 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 necrons, 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 a little "sleek", even for a advanced civilization. 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.

*'''[[Video games|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 Warlord]]s 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!!

*'''[[Squat Thunderers|Brôkhyr]]:''' The [[Guildmaster|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.

*'''[[Living Ancestor|Grimnyr]]:''' The predominant psykers of the Leagues, dressed like [[weeb|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.

*'''[[Squat Berserkers|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 [[Slayer]]s 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 [[Squat Trooper|Hearthkyn]] are essentially identical in terms of origin as the [[Guardian|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 [[Squat Thunderers|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 [[Squat Trike|TRIKES]] RETURN! [[Skub|AS HOVERTRIKES!]] And with a [[-4 Str|female]] driver. It looks like a spider-tank tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell fucked a [[Squat Bike|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)]]
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VotannTrike.jpg|They see me dworfin, they hatin', Patrollin', and tryna catch me ridin' dirty.
File:CNiuMZPWWNpatQNt (1).jpg|dorfy thicc dorfy brick
File: FW1NodbWYAA-Gzh.jpg|‘[[StarCraft|Ye want a piece a' me, lad??]]’
File:Sagitaur ATV.jpg| Sagitaur ATV, the perfect vehicle for dropping off some Hearthkyn at the pub for some brewskies on a moons surface.
File:LeagueHold.jpg|One of the many holds in the Leagues, in all it's industrial might
File:Ironkin.jpg|A humble Ironkin, ready to serve for their civilization
File:Getbackintheironkinchen.png|"[[Weeb|UWU.exe]]: I wonder if [[Adeptus Mechanicus|our new friends]] will enjoy these muffins I baked for them? I should head over and see what they're up to!"
File:CthonianBerserks.png|Just another day of cyberstimms and Cyberpsychosis...
File:Wrathoftheancestors.jpg| [[Primaris Captain|Where have I seen that before?]] [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Captain1.jpg Oh.]
File:Kâhl.jpg|Pictured: The '''real''' Space Vikings.
File:Gangoftrikes.jpg|If Mad Max had discovered hovercraft technology
File:VotannPioneer.jpg.webp|A Kin Pioneer negotiating with a techpriest
File:Leaguemining.jpg|It ain't no trick to get rich quick If you dig dig dig with a shovel or a pick
File:Leagueanvil.jpg|Remember Brokyr, the Ancestors are Always Watching
File:Thunderkyn.jpg|"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer and that means I solve problems..."
File:LOV Army Shot.png|A Kin Oathhost about to tell the Black Legion to gtfo their lawn
File:Votann Grimnyr.jpg|Finally, the [[Space Wolves|fucking furries]] don't have the monopoly on sweet beards
</gallery>

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Squats]]
[[Category:Abhumans]]
[[Category:Governments & National Powers]]
[[Category:Under Development]]

{{Template:Squats}}
{{WH40k-Factions}}
{{40k-Governments}}

Sautekh Dynasty

2022-09-16T07:32:57Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C:

{{Infobox 40k Nations
|name=Sautekh Dynasty
|image=[[Image:Sautekh_Dynasty_Banner.PNG|150px|center]]
|bgcolor=
|fgcolor=
|Capital=Mandragora
|Official Languages=Necron Lexicon
|Power=Galactic Great Power
|Size=Significant Portion of the Eastern Fringe 80 Tomb worlds, 9 with names known
|Head of State=[[Imotekh the Stormlord]]
|Head of Government=[[Imotekh the Stormlord]], various Overlords
|Governmental Structure=Totalitarian Absolute Monarchy
|State Religion/Ideology=Necron Revivalism
|Demographic=[[Necrons]]
|Military Force=[[Necron]] Forces
}}
Of all the [[Necron Dynasty|Necron Dynasties]] out there in the Galaxy, the Sautekh Dynasty is the largest and arguably the strongest of the bunch. Currently ruled over by [[Phaeron]] [[Imotekh the Stormlord]]. Consisting of eighty Tomb Worlds, its crownworld is '''Mandragora''' on the Eastern Fringe. In the times before the biotransference that transformed the Necrontyr into the Necrons, the Sautekh Dyansty was ranked third most powerful of all the dynasties. [[Just As Planned|Through chance or design, many of the core Sautekh Tomb Worlds survived the Great Sleep.]] Now, the Sautekh Dynasty is more powerful than any other and is quickly becoming a major threat on the Imperium's Eastern Borders. To the Imperium, the dynasty has become synonymous with the Necrons, and it is erroneously believed by many that they represent the alien race as a whole, with all other dynasties being mere offshoots of the Sautekh.

Its nobility is noted as being the most aggressive and the most eager in attempting a new wave of expansion to restore the Necron race to its former glory. They are known to frequently enslave non-human worlds.

As of 8th Edition, the Sautekh Dynasty has grown several times its original size due to the opportunistic absorption of multiple newly awakened Tomb Worlds, and is now the second largest political government in the Galaxy, beating the [[Q'Orl|Q'Orl Swarmhood]] and becoming a serious contender to the Imperium of Man in superpower status. Only time will tell if Imotekh manages to restore the Necron Empire to its former glory.

The Dynasty is so huge and influential that it has two client Dynasties offering assistance and support for Imotekh. The two Dynasties are known as the Sekemtar Dynasty which is ruled over by [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] Naszar, and the Arrynmarok Dynasty which is ruled over by Overlord Szaron.

As of now, the Sautekh Dynasty borders both [[Ultramar]] and the [[Tau Empire]]. The latter is considered by Imotekh to be too insignificant to be of interest. The same cannot be said of Ultramar, as after the Smurfs' victory in the second battle of Damnos Imotekh swore to wipe out the [[Ultramarines]] and destroy their planets in order to punish them for their defiance.
[[File:Sautekh_D_Map.JPG|270px|left|thumb|Sautekh with its two tributary vessel Dynasties. The big G of Necron Dynasties.]]
==Known Planets==
*Mandragora
*Gidrim
*Somonor
*Schrodinger VII
*Davatas
*Hypnoth
*Cano'var
*Rithcarin
*Medusa VII

==Famous Individuals==
*[[Imotekh the Stormlord]], Phaeron and Overlord of Mandragora
*[[Nemesor Zahndrekh]] - Overlord of Gidrim, old coot and partially senile
*[[Vargard Obyron]] - Current Bodyguard and caretaker of Zahndrekh
*[[Orikan the Diviner]]- Cryptek
*Aramakh - Overlord
*Khaygis
*Nahumekh - Lord
*Navgran the Eternal, Cryptek
*Ogdovakh - Vassal Overlord
*Ossuar - Cryptek

{{Template:40k-Governments}}

Ultramar

2022-09-16T07:30:55Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C:

[[File:skyline.png|800px|center]]
{{Infobox 40k Nations
|name=Ultramar
|image=[[Image:Ultramar_Flag.jpg|300px|center]]
|bgcolor=blue
|fgcolor=orange
|Capital=[[Macragge]]
|Official Languages=Low Gothic, High Gothic
|Power=Great Power
|Size=500 Planets (approximately)
|Head of State=[[Primarch]] [[Roboute Guilliman]]
|Head of Government= Roboute Guilliman, day-to-day operations overseen by Chapter Master of the Ultramarines ( current incumbent [[Marneus Calgar]]) and the Tetrarchs of Ultramar
|Governmental Structure= Unitary Authoritarian Meritocratic Tetrarchy (''Great Crusade'') Unitary Authoritarian Meritocracy (''41st Millennium'') Federal Authoritarian Meritocratic Tetrarchy (''42nd Millennium'')
|State Religion/Ideology=[[Imperial Cult]]
|Demographic=[[Humans]]
|Military Force=[[Ultramarines]], [[Scythes of the Emperor]], Praetors of Ultramar, Knights Cerulean, 6 other Chapters Ultramar Auxiliaries, Ultramar Defense Fleet, 3 Star Forts
}}
{{topquote|I found Rome built of bricks; I leave her clothed in marble.|[[Roboute Guilliman|Augustus]], first Emperor of the [[Roman Empire]]}}
''TL;DR: Futuristic Rome in Space''

'''Ultramar''' is the name given to the stellar empire of the [[Ultramarines]] and an autonomous region of the [[Imperium of Man]]. It is an Old Spanish term meaning “(place) beyond the sea”. The French version of the term, outre-mer, is given to the Crusader States established in the Holy Land/Levant during the High Middle Ages, so it fits the Space Marine bulwark on the Eastern Fringe perfectly.

It was also the nickname of the Portuguese Empire, the first global empire, which moved its capital to Brazil after getting Napoleoned...and weirdly ties into the whole "Unremembered Empire" business, in which Roboute Guilliman decided to use Ultramar as the nucleus of an "[[Imperium Secundus]]" in case Terra fell to the traitors.

==History==
[[File:Ultramar 30k.png|400px|left]]
So, when the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor of Mankind]] finally found [[Roboute Guilliman]], he had been ruling as Lord of Macragge for some five years, and had established an alliance of mutual aid with eight other star systems. After the Emperor made Guilliman Commander of the Ultramarines, the worlds allied with Macragge reoriented themselves to providing food, munitions, and recruits to the Ultramarines Legion. While they only supported a Chapter now, the alliance remained, and the worlds formed the realm of Ultramar.

Originally, there were said to be even more than 500 worlds in the 30k era. However, the Shadow Crusade led to the destruction of many of these planets. Exact numbers are not specified. However, in "Laurel of Defiance" it states that about a hundred planets were destroyed by the combined might of the [[World Eaters]] and [[Word Bearers]] Legions. In the 41st Millenium, the Ultramarines now only controlled about 50-60 planets (given the latest maps from Gathering Storm). The rest were given away to successor chapters/independent administration. This is because, after the Heresy, Guilliman didn't want the Ultramarines to be tied up defending their own realm while battles raged elsewhere in the Imperium.

All of this changed after Guilliman returned in the closing years of M41. Having learned of the recent struggles that Ultramar had been facing as well as its immediate need for protection, he declared the treaties which gave many of the 500 worlds their independence "null and void" and ordered a return to the five hundred worlds system with an intent to expand Ultramar further.

==Shadow Crusade==
During the Horus Heresy, the full might of the Word Bearer and World Eater Legions were unleashed upon the 500 worlds as Horus wished to keep the Ultramarines from interfering with his advance to Terra. Many of the planets in Guilliman's star empire were subjected to ferocious and unexpected invasions.

With almost half of the Ultramarines Legion killed or put out of action after the Battle of Calth, and interstellar communication/travel cut off from one another due to the Ruinstorm Lorgar summoned, each planet was left to fend for itself. Some planets were able to repel the invaders completely. On Astagar, a force led by Lucien Corvo (later the founder of the [[Novamarines]]) managed to win the battle for the planet by destroying a possessed Warlord-Class Titan belonging to the Word Bearers. On others, the Ultramarines destroyed their worlds rather than let the enemy have them. This happened on Percepton, where an outnumbered chapter of the Ultramarines subjected the planet to phosphex bombardment, burning away both defenders and invaders who were unlucky enough not to evacuate in time.

Kor Phaeron would put his own plan in motion to strike at the heart of Ultramar and destroy its core worlds while Lorgar and Angron tore through its outer rim. He planned for an Abyss-class super battleship, the Furious Abyss, to destroy Maccrage, the home planet of the Ultramarines, while the bulk of the 13th Legion was stationed at Calth. This mighty vessel would then join a smaller fleet of Word Bearer vessels in laying waste to the core planets. Fortunately, a small strike force of Ultramarines and Space Wolves would board this ship and destroy it from the inside at the cost of their lives. Without the Furious Abyss, the Word Bearer attack on Maccrage and the core worlds of Ultramar failed.

Lorgar and Angron's main force did manage to conquer 26 planets including the world of Armatura, which had been an Ultramarine recruiting world during the Great Crusade. Accompanying this force were two Abyss-class super battleships as well as the Word Bearer and World Eater Gloriana-class flagships. Things would come to a head on Angron's homeworld of Nuceria, which saw the final battle of the Shadow Crusade. Guilliman and his motley fleet of 40 escort and cruiser-class ships (destroyers, corvettes, strike cruisers etc.), patched together from whatever he could muster after the Battle of Calth, threw itself at the combined spearhead of Word Bearers and World Eaters. Fortunately for the Ultramarines, [[FAIL|three unsupported mega-battleships would prove to be Lorgar's idea of a balanced fleet.]]

At great cost to the 13th legion (12 of the smaller vessels), they managed to bring down Lorgar's flagship, the Fidelitas Lex, by swarming it with about 30 ships. On the surface, the outnumbered Ultramarines would be pushed back and forced to retreat under the unrelenting pressure of two traitor legions commanded by their Primarchs - and by the end of the battle Angron had become a Daemon Prince. Although the boys in blue would end up withdrawing from the battle, this marked the end of the Shadow Crusade as Lorgar considered the [[Ruinstorm]] sufficiently fed and redirected his forces, along with those of the ascended Angron, towards Terra.

More traitor legions would also invade Ultramar space during the Heresy, although they were not part of the Shadow Crusade. For example, a 25,000-strong force of Night Lords that were one of the six splinter fleets escaping the Dark Angels would attack Sotha. Due to the superb strategic defense put in place by the defector Warsmith Dantioch, the Imperial Fist Captain Polux, and the thousand-strong Ultramarines Aegida company, this ended up being one of the most lopsided battles in the Horus Heresy. The invaders suffered near-total losses and were forced to retreat as they learned that Guilliman himself was leading a retribution fleet to Sotha. However, victory was only made possible due to the tragic sacrifice of Dantioch and nearly all of the Aegida Company (the survivors would later go on to become the [[Scythes of the Emperor]]). This would also inadvertently act as the [[Imperium Secundus#Tyranids|impetus]] for the [[Tyranids]] to invade the galaxy several millennia later, though nobody suspected it at the time. In the outer reaches of Ultramar, the [[Death Guard]] would also launch probing attacks on the relatively undefended border worlds. Late into the conflict, the Salamanders strike cruiser, Charybdis, would find the corpse of another Abyss-class vessel in the extreme outer edges of Ultramar space. It seemed as if it were attacked by a large Ultramarine fleet and destroyed when it was boarded and had its warp drive detonated by the intruders.

It is difficult to gauge how many planets were destroyed in total however; a snippet from the Horus Heresy books states that a little over a hundred worlds "died" due to the invasion. It should be noted that some of these worlds did manage to recover from the attack. Most notably Calth which would (ironically) become the perfect home to Ultramar's shipyards in M41 due to the fact that the Word Bearer invasion turned its surface into a smooth and airless planet. Planets such as Armatura were left alone and Parmenio would be the new main recruiting world. As for lives lost, 120,000 Ultramarines died during the Battle of Calth and a further 30,000 presumably died from the ensuing invasion. This left the Ultramarines with 100,000 marines near the end of the Heresy, down from their 250,000 at the start. The losses for the Auxilia were horrendous as well, with 500,000 dead at the Battle of Calth alone.

==Invasion by Hive Fleet Behemoth==
In 745, M41, [[Hive Fleet Behemoth]] would invade Imperial space, the bulk of it making a beeline towards the Ultramarines home planet. Although the Hive Fleet was splintered after the Battle of Circe, the invasion would leave many scars on Ultramar such as the destruction of the civilized world Prandium. Still, because the Tyranids had focused their attacks on a relatively few number of important planets, the star empire had recovered fully in the span of less than sixty years.

==The Plague Wars==
In M42, Ultramar's formerly idyllic existence was shattered by a Death Guard invasion led by Mortarion himself. Three systems to the galactic north of Ultramar were corrupted by influence of Nurgle and its planets are turned into staging grounds for the invasion of Guilliman's mini-Empire. This had apparently begun a few decades prior to the conclusion of the [[Indomitus Crusade]]. Surprisingly, Guilliman did not end the crusade upon hearing about the invasion of Ultramar. He wished to remain in command of the Imperium at large and knows he can do more good that way. He therefore left it to his sons to hold the line until his return. [[Imperium Secundus|Shows he's learnt something from the Heresy.]]

Mortarion's already large invasion force, bolstered by mutants and cultists from the [[Scourge Stars]], was accompanied by [[Typhus]] and his [[Plague Fleet]] alongside the Great Unclean One [[Ku'Gath]] Plaguefather and his Plague Guard. Their strategy concentrated on taking and holding a few major planets such as Iax, Espandor and Konor. They only launched raiding attacks on the less defended ones, withdrawing before Astartes were deployed.

The Espandor system was devastated. All planets in the system besides the main planet were taken; the Ultramarines bitterly contested Espandor Prime and would do so until they were later relieved. One of the Plague Guard would lead this attack, a [[Daemon#Greater_Daemons|Greater Daemon]] named Qaramas. The partial conquest of the Espandor system opened up the gateway for the rest of the invasion fleet to surge into Ultramar.

Iax was overrun by daemons of Nurgle as the bulk of the invasion force came to bear upon it. It had been converted into a hospital world earlier in the war and was therefore susceptible to infiltration by the heralds of Nurgle despite its stringent quarantine measures. This would be the base of operations for the entire invasion and conquest of Ultramar as Mortarion, the Death Guard and the rest of the Plague Guard would gather here.

Macragge suffered bouts of Chaos-induced unrest as Mortarion led probing attacks on the Ultramarines' homeworld. While this did not lead to any widespread destruction or damage to critical facilities, these incidents caused a drop in civilian morale and wasted Marneus Calgar's precious time on peacekeeping missions and displays of force to shore up confidence amongst Macragge's civilians.

Typhus and the Plague fleet had overrun and taken one of Ultramar's star forts. He was later directed by Mortarion to attack the Ultramarines training world of Parmenio. Konor would come under attack as well by the forces of the Death Guard, their aim being to take the crucial system and use it as a launching pad for an attack on Macragge itself. Though that failed miserably when Mortarion re-enacted Star Wars Episode IV with predictable consequences.

Guilliman eventually returned to Ultramar from his Indomitus Crusade, bringing with him thousands of Primaris reinforcements. First, he cleanses the Hive World of Ardium in the Maccrage system from the Death Guard. There he discovers that Mortarion was using the Hand of Darkness to craft Plague Engines that were re-animating the dead and turning them into Plague Zombies. He destroys the engine on Ardium and frees the world from the influence of Nurgle. He then landed on Maccrage, bringing with him thousands of Primaris Marine reinforcements and other allies. After taking stock of the situation, he organized the Ultramarines and their auxilia to launch a large-scale counterattack against the invaders. Several loyalist Ultramarine successors also joined the fight, their fleets engaging the Death Guard and doing their best to keep Ultramar's shipping lanes safe.

He first set his eyes on Espandor System, which served as the main supply line for the Death Guard invasion. He retook each of the lost worlds and destroyed the engines that were creating plague zombies on each of the planets, freeing them from the influence of chaos and destroying the source of the plague zombies. After a ferocious battle in which the Ultramarines Chapter found themselves fighting side by side with their Primaris brethren for the first time, the forces of Nurgle were routed from the planet, Guilliman decisively ending the battle by killing the greater daemon Qaramas with the [[Emperor's Sword]] and destroying the last Plague Engine in the system. The Espandor system was now essentially cleansed and the forces of Nurgle were cut off from the Scourge Stars.

With their supply lines to the Scourge Stars being cut, the Hand of Darkness lost (having been recaptured by the Ynnari after Guilliman informed them of it) their Plague Engines slowly being destroyed (stripping the traitors of their supply of Plague Zombies) and Imperial reinforcements pouring into Ultramar with each passing day, Mortarion found himself on the wrong side of the war of attrition. Guilliman had cut the Death Guard off and was now cutting them to pieces. With this in mind, Mortarion decided to throw all his remaining forces at one target.

Macragge was still too heavily defended for the forces of Nurgle to assault so it was decided that they would target the Ultramarines training world: Parmenio. This battle saw the biggest armored clash between the traitor and loyalist forces during the war. The largest star fort in Ultramar, Galatan, attempted to provide support but was engaged by the Plague Fleet and was boarded by traitor marines, leading to the death of the Novamarines Chapter Master. On the surface, however, the Ultramarines were slowly winning the fight. Guilliman killed Ku'gath's lieutenant Septicus and shattered his Plague Guard, giving the loyalists the upper hand and causing them to make major gains against the archenemy.

Guilliman then finally led the relief force to Iax. Not finding Mortarion in either Parmenio or Espandor, he was determined to hunt down his traitorous brother once and for all. The final battle of the war took place here, with Guilliman and Mortarion fighting each other to a standstill amongst the ruins of Iax. Eventually, Mortarion and the Death Guard were summoned back to the Scourge Stars, which had come under threat from the forces of Khorne in what would become the War in the Rift. They withdrew from Iax under the cover of a virus bomb and the forces of Nurgle retreated from Ultramar, but the threat of a renewed attack in the future remains.

After the forces of Chaos withdrew, Guilliman oversaw a period of reconstruction and restoration across the realm of Ultramar. He also gave the Ultramarines the means of creating new Primaris Space Marines and helped complete the reformation of the 500 Worlds. Although his duties would eventually call him away, he ensured that Ultramar would be fortified against future threats hereafter.

==Current State==
After his return from the Indomitus Crusade, Gullliman engaged in a series of reforms. He declared that the return to the 500 worlds would now be formalized now that he had returned to fully enforce the reformation. He also announced a great buildup in military forces to protect the expanded Ultramar. 8 new purely Primaris Marine Chapters, all Ultramarine successors would be founded in Ultramar. He therefore pledged 10 full chapters (including the Ultramarines and the Scythes of the Emperor) to defend his star empire at all times in the future. 10,000 Space Marines, of which more than 8000 were Primaris Marines, would now be Ultramar's permanent defense force, as well as the main force for future expansion of Ultramar's borders. Which looks suspiciously like a small legion in all but name, especially as they all ultimately fall under the authority of Calgar who has authority over the 4 Tetrarchs and Ultramar as a whole. Which is all kinds of hypocritical but also leaves BL and codex writers the chance to have particularly fuck huge battles against the Tyranids, Tau, Necrons and the like near Ultramar in any fluff they write. Which is likely the reason it's happened.

Ultramar is currently divided into five sectors (North, South, East, West and Center). Four of these sectors is ruled by a Tetrarch appointed by Guilliman himself. Every sector has a capital world where the Tetrarch resides, although each world considers itself under the rule of Maccrage.

*The Northern Sector is based around the Forge World of Konor. Its Tetrarch is [[Severus Agemman]], First Captain of the Ultramarines.
*The Southern Sector is based around the world of Andermung. Its Tetrarch is Second Captain Portan of the [[Genesis Chapter]].
*The Western Sector is based around the world of Protos. Its Tetrarch is Captain Balthus of the [[Doom Eagles]].
*The Eastern Sector is based around the world of Vespator. It had been previously ruled by a political entity known as the Sotharan league, but since Sotha was destroyed by [[Hive Fleet Kraken]] Guilliman re-constituted what was left of the league around Vespator. Its Tetrarch is Decimus Felix, a Primaris Ultramarine recently promoted to Eleventh Captain of the Ultramarines and Equerry to Roboute Guilliman.
*The Central Sector falls under the direct rule of Macragge and its regent, Marneus Calgar. It encompasses all systems in the heart of Ultramar with the exception of Konor, Veridia and Espandor, which fall under the remit of the Northern Tetrarch.

The combined damage the Death Guard had caused forced over a billion of Ultramar's inhabitants to become refugees. Guilliman has since asked more than a hundred [[Rogue Trader]]s for their help in charting the new Warp routes exposed by the Great Rift in the hope that there may be uncorrupted worlds that can be settled there.

==Notable Features of Ultramar==
What makes Ultramar notable is that by M41, it is a model of self-reliance, justice, and stability in the otherwise rotting [[Imperium of Man]]. Most people (such as [[Matthew Ward|he who shall not be named]]) say that it is a testament to Guilliman's ideals, a closer examination reveals more believable reasons:

'''Martial society''': Lacking the [[Hive]] and [[Death World]] so common among [[Space Marines|Space Marine]] homeworlds, the worlds of Ultramar have developed a highly industrious warrior society who looks down on those who cannot pull their weight. This would disqualify most nobles who absorb resources without providing anything for the masses. The people of Ultramar are indoctrinated into taking pride in their work for the betterment of the Imperium.

'''Social mobility''': The worlds of Ultramar lack the Hives so common in many planets, and there is little population discontent. Space Marines place value on competence, and the Ultramarines are no different. People do not gain a position of power unless they can show genuine leadership.

'''Minimal Imperial presence''': The Imperium of Man is quite frankly a horrible place to live, with the [[Administratum]], the [[Adeptus Arbites]], the [[Inquisition]], and the [[Ecclesiarchy]] basically running things into the ground. In other words, the Administratum won't screw up Ultramar with any filing errors, the Arbites and the Inquisition won't be Ultrabarging into people's homes and taking them away for "interrogation" and the Ecclesiarchy won't be the corrupt church that makes use of the extreme ignorance of the people while being highly hypocritical and counterproductive. However, because Macragge provides for the Ultramarines, the Imperium classifies the world as free of major Imperial tithes (only tithing gene seed whenever another Founding is ready), and most of the other worlds of Ultramar get off pretty easy too. And despite setting up the [[High Lords of Terra]], Guilliman was firm on maintaining that the Space Marines answered to the Emperor, and the Emperor alone. As such, like other Space Marine homeworlds, the presence of the Adeptus Terra is quite limited in Ultramar and squarely subordinate to the Ultramarines.

==Worlds of Ultramar==
There are currently around 500 worlds in the reformed empire of Ultramar. The core systems that are most shown in most maps constitute the heart of Ultramar but it should be noted that they account for only around 10% of total planets in the mini-empire. Ultramar is divided into 5 segments (North, South, East, West and Center). The Eastern segment is said to have 86 worlds by itself. However, it should be noted that this was the segment that suffered the most under the Tyranid invasion and other segments may have many more worlds. Therefore, assuming a minimum of 86 worlds in each segment, Ultramar should consist of 430-500 worlds. How did they get more than 400 worlds if only 400 were left after the Horus Heresy? Well, it has been 10k years. Several more planets must have been colonized as well.

===Primus Worlds===
*Macragge, Capitol of Ultramar and seat of rule over the Central Sector
*Konor, Capitol of the Nothern Sector
*Andermung, Capitol of the Southern Sector
*Protos, Capitol of the Western Sector
*Vespator, Capitol of the Eastern Sector

===Core Systems===
'''Macragge System'''
*Macragge, Chapter Planet and capital of Ultramar
*Thulium, Death world
*Nova Thulium, agri-world
*Ardium, Hive world
*Laphis, Shrine world

'''Veridian System'''
*Calth, a cavern-world where the population lives underground in massive underground arcologies. The size of these cavern cities are so large that rain clouds are able to form under the roofs. Used to be a civilised world in M31 which was about to become a Primus world, however the Battle of Calth resulted in its surface being destroyed and irradiated by the Veridian Star. 10,000 years on it is ironically the current center for spacecraft manufacture/repair/refit in Ultramar as its smooth, airless surface is perfect for such activity. Has the largest shipyards in Ultramar.
* Ravishol, Industrial world
*Lamane, Mining world
*Ishcara, Civilised world
*Veridia Forge, Adeptus Mechanicus Asteroid Mining Outpost

'''Masali System'''
* Tarentus, a desert-world with cities encased in domes to provide produce.
* Masali, an agri-world.
* Quintarn, an agri-world.

'''Talasa System'''
*Falan's Reach, Fortress world
*Talasa Tertius, Industrial world
*Talasa Prime, Deathwatch training world
*Talasa Secundus, Hive world
*Uldregor, agri-world

'''Konor System'''
*Konor, Research/Industrial world, was a major center for manufacturing/shipyards even before the coming of the Imperium. It even rivaled several high-ranking forge worlds in terms of production. [[Stupid|So much so that the Mechanicus demanded that it be downgraded]]. Guilliman would offer a compromise. The production centers would be downgraded but much of this manufacturing capability would be moved to its moon of Gantz (though as of M41 it is a proper Forgeworld again).
* Gantz (Moon of Konor), A Forgeworld that produced most of the Legion's equipment and was the home of their allied Titan Legion, the True Messengers.
*Vanitor, Frontier world
*Drenthal, Ocean world
*Loebos, Eldar Maiden World turned Death world following the elimination of its Exodite population, destroyed at conclusion of the [[Fate of Konor]] campaign.
*Nethamus, Agri-world
*Astramis, Hive world

===Other Systems/Planets===
* Talassar, an ocean-world.
* Espandor, a cardinal world given to the [[Ecclesiarchy]].
* Parmenio, a training-world.
* Occluda, former Primus world. Still a functioning planet but was still replaced during the reformation
* Tarvan
* Anuaris, a Forgeworld founded as an outpost of Accatran long before the Heresy and known for their long and bitter feud with Konor

===Former Planets===
* Prandium, Nommed by the Nids, used to be a pretty nice planet dubbed "the Jewel of Ultramar" (hint: Prandium is Latin for Lunch).
* Armatura, a war-world which supplied the Ultramarines Legion with recruits and repaired damaged warships. Purged by the Shadow Crusade, now a dead world.
* Saramanth, a former Primus world. Was devastated at one point and therefore replaced by Guilliman during the reformation.
* [[Nuceria]], a "civilized" world (it was about as civilized as Terra during the reign of the techno-barbarians) with the dubious honor of being the homeworld of [[Angron]] (and in extension, the [[World Eaters]], although they never recruited from here). Was originally just an insignificant backwater world before and after Angron, until the primarch arrived during the Horus Heresy, when he and the World Eaters murderfucked the entire planet for spreading lies about him running away from his last stand.
* Sotha, an agri-world in the age of the [[Great Crusade]] and later homeworld of the [[Scythes of the Emperor]]. Eventually overtaken by the Tyranids.
* Iax, former Primus world. An agri-world once known as the "Garden of Ultramar". Had diminished in importance relative to its surrounding planets and was replaced. Invaded by daemons of Nurgle and the Death Guard in M42 and was virus bombed by Mortarion to make his retreat. Now likely a dead world since it received exterminatus.
* Percepton, a world of Ultramar invaded by the Word Bearers during the Shadow Crusade. The Ultramarines would end up bombing Percepton with a massive Phosphex bombardment to deny the traitors the planet, scouring the whole planet clean of life (friend and foe).

There is a metric fuck ton of others (Ultramar is known as the 500 Worlds after all). Most of them are watched over by the 10 Ultramarine Successor Chapters assigned there. Guilliman has since announced his intention to re-expand Ultramar, so it may get even bigger.

{{Template:40k-Governments}}
{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]]

Tau

2022-09-16T07:25:53Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C:

{{heresy}}
{{Plot Armour}}
[[Image:TAUSYMBOL.gif|center]]
{{Infobox 40k Nations
|name= T'au Empire
|image=[[Image:Tau_Empire_Flag.jpg|300px|center]]
|bgcolor=
|fgcolor=
|Capital= T'au
|Official Languages=Tau Lexicon
|Power= Middle Power
|Size=Approximately over 300 worlds
|Head of State= Ethereal Supreme
|Head of Government= Ethereal Council
|Governmental Structure=Caste-Based Authoritarian Federation
|State Religion/Ideology=[[Greater Good]]
|Demographic=[[Tau]], [[Kroot]], [[Vespid]], [[Gue'vesa|Humans]], [[Nicassar]], [[Tarellian]], Nagi, Hrenians and other minor [[Xenos]] races
|Military Force=[[Tau]] Fire Caste, Tau Air Caste, [[Kroot]] and [[Vespid]] Forces, The Deathsworn, Hrenian Light Infantry, [[Demiurg]] Forces, [[Nicassar]] Forces, Gue'vesa Forces and other minor Xenos armies, The [[Kor'Vattra]] and it's auxiliary fleets
}}
[[File:9jfnqeaplhexx.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Get the fuck out of the way, [[Imperium|Oldfag]]. (Vior'la Sept Fire Warriors)]]
{{Topquote|I'll say this about the T'au, they know how to put on a good war.|[[Ciaphas Cain]]}}
{{Topquote|Ce qui constitue une République, c'est la destruction totale de tout ce qui lui est opposé. - What constitutes a Republic is the total destruction of that which is opposed to it.|Louis Antoine de Saint-Just}}
{{Topquote|Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.|C.S Lewis}}

Tau (τ) is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, 300 in Greek numerals, and also the name for 2π.

It is also the name of the Warhammer 40K race known as the '''Tau''', nowadays spelled '''T'au''' by GW copyright lawyers as if that somehow [[ChapterHouse Studios|fixes anything]] (many nicknames include "uncreative retards" if you are an [[Eldar]], "blueskinned atrocity" if you're a [[Imperium of Man|Human]], "bluies", as the Valhallan 597th call them, or "Space Communists" as anyone on /tg/ will tell you) are a playable race and a minor and overall insignificant power in ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]''. When first discovered by humanity, the Tau were a barbaric and primitive people. Their planet was then trapped in a warp storm for a few thousand years and they emerged from the other side as a unified species, led by the [[Druids|mysterious]] Ethereal caste and devoted to the concept of the "[[Greater Good]]". Their new empire supposedly has around 300 worlds, with dozens more small colonies and outposts, packed into a stellar cluster about 500 light years across. They have about [[T'au Septs|21 official]] "Septs" which are major systems based around a cultural 'prime' planet (think Manhattan then the tri-state area). They were growing until recently, when the Imperium sent a large invading force to counter them.

Although a dystopian society in its own right, the Tau Empire is noted for being one of the LEAST awful places in all the galaxy of 40k. It's also [[Derp|not really an empire]]; the Tau government, the Ethereal caste, is essentially an edifice of meritocracy and nepotism. Tau leaders are appointed to their position by even higher ranking leaders and/or a council of their future peers; the highest ranking Tau, the Aun'O, is elected by his future underlings, much like the Catholic pope, but is still simply considered the weightiest voice of a group (like a prime minister), not an Emperor with absolute power.

The Ethereals are basically like "upper management" if upper management worked... or maybe HR if they didn't just 'klkn' [fancy tau word for F'ed] everyone over. The Ethereals actually care about the people that look up to them as they set mandates across their society, which the castes strive to fulfill.

The Tau started as a classic case of successful design-based [[Troll|trolling]] on the part of [[Games Workshop]]. They were originally developed because GW felt that their setting needed an optimistic race and that their wallets needed more money, which they could get by selling shitloads of 40k to the robot-obsessed Japanese. The Tau, therefore, are the least [[grimdark]] faction in the game; [[Tau Diplomacy|they're the dudes willing to negotiate when they've beaten their enemies]] ([[The Beast|we cannot forget the green skinned diplomats our boy sent out during his siege of terra]]) while all the others are either too [[Chaos Space Marines| murderously psychotic in ways incomprehensible to anyone who does not share the same batshit insanity]], [[Imperium|religiously overzealous]], [[Eldar|arrogantly indifferent]], [[Orks|simplemindedly violent]], [[Necron|murderously enigmatic]], [[Tyranid|more interested in eating you than anything]], or [[Dark Eldar|all of the above]] to offer such courtesies.

This began to change in 6th edition. For all the claims that GW doesn't listen to its fans, someone seemed to have heard the incessant bitching many fa/tg/uys made over the Tau [[Belisarius Cawl|being shoehorned into the setting]] [[Primaris Marines|in the worst way possible.]] As a result, the Tau began to take on an Orwellian flavor and Imperium-esque elements, with the Ethereals being totalitarian autocrats performing acts of ruthless indifference towards their subjects, including [[Nazi|eugenics]] or up to [[Exterminatus]] of lost races (e.g. Orks and Tyranids), in the guise of being for the Greater Good. (though classyfing Orks and Tyranids as being Exterminatus on sight is a pretty good assessment honestly)

As a result you now have a new generation of weebos running around thinking that the Tau actually don't give a fuck about their people and would actually kill their own kind for things like... sculpting [like really, if you do art outside of the Earth caste you just disappear] which would make the Tau the least functioning society in 40k as whole swathes of their own population are routinely exterminated for fixing their crisis suits so they don't drown or pull a pistol out to protect children (things that actually happened).

The Tau Codex leaves ambiguous the question of just how much of their success is due to various forms of indoctrination, caste-based conditioning, and subtle mind control. This has only been exacerbated by the recent Farsight Enclaves supplement, which makes the Ethereals come off as mustache-twirling, Saturday-morning-cartoon villains. It speaks volumes about the 40k setting that in spite of all this they're ''still'' the friendliest race in the galaxy.

An interesting contradiction arises because the Tau have annexed (sometimes peacefully) entire Hive Worlds, meaning the Tau might actually be a cat’s paw to a human civilization by now. This is because a single modestly-sized hive world ''probably'' boasts a larger population than the entire Tau species combined (with one hive city on a world at one point being noted for outright having a population higher than the Tau species, much to the horror of a Tau diplomat), along with an industrial capacity to match- not to mention the fact that the Tau willingly give their tech and knowledge to races who have been subsumed into the Greater Good. It seems that Games Workshop has not yet realized this problem.

=="Naive Weeaboo Space Communists"==
[[Image:Tau Weeaboo.png|thumb|right|Cue hotblooded music by [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r6xYnFDoV0 JAM Project].]]
The Tau's naiveté might seem at odds with the GRIMDARK-ness of the setting (and to a degree, a lot of it is), but the thing is, Games Workshop specifically plays this straight FOR the [[grimdark]] and ''knows'' that the seeming futility of the Tau's optimism only further accentuates the general hellishness of the rest of the galaxy - and dear [[Emperor|god]] do they play this up for maximum effect. In the 41st millennium, the Tau come across as ''more'' than a little naïve to the other races; the Imperium sees any contact with aliens as heretical and will shoot them with [[bolter]] rounds as soon as they look at them; the [[Ork]]s just want to kick the shit out of things; and the [[Eldar]] see the Tau as a race in its infancy, just staggering out of its borders for the first time and wandering into a pond full of [[Saharduin|sh]][[Dark Eldar|ar]][[Chaos|ks]] (most Eldar philosophers admit their own race has failed, the humans are failing, and add that the Tau are in for a rude awakening). If the sharks arrayed against the Tau think of them at all, it is surely as dinner.

In older fluff [a single book that was so off the rails it said Tau had toes and no nasal slits], the Tau were implied to have been secretly uplifted by the Eldar through the creation and subtle control of the Etherals (especially the mind-influencing pheromone secreting gland at the base of Ethereals’ spines) and guiding them through reverse-engineering Imperial technology from the ruined colony ships. Eventually the Eldar abandoned them because the Tau never accomplished anything notable on their own due to a crippling lack of creativity (<s>a big red flag of bullshit, since the Tau are nothing if not creative</s> needing the Eldar to reverse-engineer Imperial colony ships for you and teach you everything is ''NOT'' "creative", it is the opposite, pay attention before opening your mouth. What part of "uplifted" do you not understand?). This older fluff also said that humans must be in physical contact with an Ethereal or perhaps subjected to heavy doses of the pheromone in other ways to be sufficiently affected but other aliens are affected merely by being in the vicinity of an Ethereal. <s>In the current fluff, the Eldar backstory and Ethereals-controlling-other-races theory seem to have been cast aside as nonsense and are no longer canon.</s> The Farsight Enclaves exist literally because of this mind-influence, they are in rebellion against the ethereals due to learning of this. And nothing has removed the backstory of the Tau. In fact, lore regarding those bug aliens near Terra only increases the strength of this lore, in addition to study of ethereal biology.

The Tau's generally-optimistic fluff, combined with their highly advanced technology, distinctly "Eastern" combat doctrine (that is often reminiscent of Sun Tzu's "''Art of War''"), use of [[Mecha|battlesuits]] (just [[Imperial Knight|like]] [[Dreadnought|the]] [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Imperium]]), [[Hammerhead Gunship|heavy firepower]] which rivals that of the Imperial Guard, and one of the [[Fish of Fury|most broken tactics in tabletop 40K until it was finally fixed an edition later]] has conspired to make them very much hated (and by that we mean a source of butthurt) by a reasonable-sized population of the [[/tg/|40K fan populace]]. /Tg/ has rightly dubbed the Tau [[Weeaboo]] (as much due to their Asian-ness as anything else) as a result.

[[Image:Tau fire warriors.jpg|490px|thumb|left|The [[Greater Good]]: translatable as [[Deal with it|"If you want to make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs."]]]]

And again in a case of much cultural confusion, the Tau are often considered [[Communism|communists]] (despite being a rigorous, hierarchical, near-eugenicist class society that would have Marx's spirit resurrect himself to commit suicide) due to their central philosophy of casting aside the self in favour of the Greater Good. This is partly because it's a nearly twenty year old meme by this point and memes that old are very stubborn about dying... and partly because we're a bunch of ignorant fucks. If anything the Tau more resemble the class system of Plato's ''Republic'' crossed with the caste system of India and [[Star_Trek#The_Federation|Star Trek's Federation]], and a little bit of facism as well (because they're the only ones in the entire galaxy who bother to try diplomacy with xenos rather than [[Exterminatus|exterminate]] them (partly because all but a few alien species are horrific space monsters that only a complete idiot would try to negotiate with)).

Even then, the Tau has more in common with the Imperium than the noblebright space hippie Feds; they adhere to a highly strict doctrine of eugenics, as [[Love Can Bloom|all forms of love, sex or breeding between different castes]] are, translated from Tau lexicon into Gothic, '''[[HERESY]]'''. The Tau also have an explicit merchant caste as well as a single unified currency (something the Imperium of Man only has in theory, [[Imperial Truth|much like everything else]]) along with a system of standardised wage labour which makes them actually more Capitalist than the still stuck in Feudal Economics Imperium. Contrast to the Craftworld Eldar whose society of post-scarcity voluntary labour actually is fully Communist, albeit there are still nobles entitled to bigger houses.

The Tau treat their member species with an unusual amount of autonomy and respect while also keeping them as second-class citizens with no say in the Tau government. There is no restriction on religion or cultural uniqueness so far as it doesn't interfere with the greater good: Humans may still worship the Emperor, Nicassar can continue exploring the universe and Kroot can continue to ingest the dead; so it's a pretty broad stroke of acceptability.

What is terrifying and an excellent twist on the Tau is that member races and the individual is kept from 'choice'. So if you suck, like you're just bad at everything, you're not going to be offed or turned into corpse starch. You are simply given a 1 bedroom apartment, universal healthcare, and a broom. And that's it. You don't get to be a hero, you don't get to rise above your worth, and this is all decided by an alien society. If you dare step outside of these boundaries, then you're given a couple chances. First you're sent to reeducation. Do it again and you might get some beneficial brain washing... and so on. But death? Certainly not, because what purpose would that serve? Unless they deem you a lost cause.

To double the weebiness but to greatly decrease the communism connection, the Tau are remarkably similar to war-time era Imperial Japan. Not in terms of military doctrine but in terms of its geopolitics. Like Imperial Japan they're a young power situated in the east, relatively far from most of their possible rivals' centres of power. Like Imperial Japan they have a seemingly nice enough doctrine in terms of rhetoric; "Greater Good" and "Co-Prosperity Sphere"; but in practice what it means is that they want to replace the old empires in the region with their own. Like Imperial Japan they're at a significant disadvantage in terms of production power compared to their most serious rivals in the region, and hope to compensate for that by tactical superiority and winning big decisive battles to topple the old powers.

To further solidify the connections to Japan in the early 20th century, the Tau Empire even borrows some terminology, such as "spheres" of expansion, a firm belief that despite their grotesque material inferiority to their primary enemies, the power of their ideals and their superior willpower shall overcome their enemies all, and a dogged insistence on picking fights it probably can't win. Imperial Japan knew that America alone had nearly twelve times the industrial power, with Britain having thrice Japan's military-industrial might, France just about matching theirs, and the Soviets having four times that: even China, despite being a wartorn barely functional shithole, could be a quagmire for it.

But Japan didn't give a shit because they thought that they were so awesome they could somehow get all these people to surrender through a combination of being better at war than their soft, mewling enemies and that they simply believed in their destiny to rule the waves more than anyone else did. Much like how the Tau are fully aware that the Imperium, the Orks, the Necrons, and the Tyranids could all squash them flat in a stand up fight, but believe this is immaterial because their belief in the Greater Good shall overcome all and that they have mastered the ways of war while their foes are mired in ignorance. Although, the lore mostly depicts the Tau, including their leadership, as utterly unaware of anywhere remotely near how horribly outmatched the Tau really are. It says a lot about the major factions that the Tau have glimpsed only a tiny fraction of their enemies' power, believe that is the whole of said power, and believe they are tremendously outmatched but will be victorious due to Manifest Destiny. Ignorant of the true power they face.

What is for sure though is that whatever part of the political spectrum they'd fall on (probably wherever you'd put Imperial Japan during world war two), the Tau government is mainly oligarchical, with the vast majority of political power concentrated in the Ethereal caste.

This is further driven home by the fact there is a Tau splinter faction led by one of their two best generals alive, Commander [[Farsight]] of the Farsight Enclaves, whose government is a non-caste society devoid of ethereals, making it a meritocratic semi-democracy. The problem is, depending on who you ask Farsight may be either a hero in self-imposed exile or a single-minded military dictator, much the way Optimus Prime is sometimes depicted. Farsight's government is [[RAGE|NOT recognized by the Tau Empire]], who have finally gotten around to dispatching a fleet to silence them. We still have yet to see the outcome of this fleet dispatch, though (in all likelihood, no force was ever sent, because Tau don't kill each other and because Farsight is useful enough where he is, even if he's in rebellion).

Of course, the Farsight Enclaves are a fan favorite, mostly because on the table top he was one of the only ways to make an all battle suit army but we digress. The books he's featured in portray Farsight more as a guy that is incredibly depressed about his own mistakes and thinks that the Tau Empire is too inclusive and needs to learn how to grimdark better.

However, the new codex has HEAVILY downplayed Tau naiveté, bringing back the original codex mention that the Ethereals have officially declared some species "[[Exterminatus|lost causes]]" and that the [[Greater Good]] demands they be killed to the last.

*[[Orks]] were the first of the big players of 40k to get this treatment. They pretty much were the only serious competition Tau had before they discovered the Imperium, and it only took them a few weeks of study to realize the fact that Orks are beyond reason or sanity. They do still employ them as mercenaries in small numbers, and the Water Caste considers the Orks one of their biggest failures.

*[[Tyranids]] unsurprisingly ended up on "shoot on sight" list pretty much after the first contact. Unlike the Orks, the Tau have experienced the full and unadulterated rape train that is a Hive Fleet in the form of Gorgon which took a bite out of their Empire (lost something like 10% of it) as well as an ally species called the Ulumeathic League who might be completely wiped out.

*[[Eldar]] briefly were on the list too, owning this to the first contact being made by the Drukhari, and not just any, but [[Urien Rakarth]] himself. Eventually the Craftword Eldar intervened, and the Tau realized that not all space-elves are insane rapists. Although the Tau ended up accidentally destroying a Maiden World, likely making permanent enemies of Saim Hann in the process, they also had some positive dealings with Lugganath to finish off Hive Fleet Gorgon. Interestingly, the Dark Eldar were supposed to be the original nemesis of the Tau when they were originally released.

*[[Space Marines]] were introduced to the Tau during the Damocles wars. Marines represent an interesting case to the Tau because while it's possible to reason and even negotiate with them, Water caste psychoanalysts have determined that Astartes aren't ''people'' but merely ''weapons'' and as such have no place in Tau'Va.

To sum it up, the Tau Empire is still an expansionist empire prone to using military force, but far better than almost every other polity in the setting, as it permits others to exist with rather lenient standards, and isn't dedicated to the purposeful extinction of all other life in the galaxy. It should be noted that the Water Caste has turned more worlds to join the Empire then the Fire Caste. Technically, the Imperium does have protectorate species as well, but very few because most aliens are batshit insane, flat-out evil, or space monsters. Of which, almost all have been exterminated by the Imperium, which is probably why the Tau are so ignorant of what xenos are generally like. Talk about irony.

Additionally, you don't have to join the Empire to benefit from trade agreements and non-aggression pacts. For example, the Demiurge traded ion-tech for refuge from the ever xenophobic Imperium, but there doesn't seem to be any indication they've actually 'joined' the Empire.

Regardless of who you are, if you join the Tau Empire they will genuinely try and do their best to take care of you because they think, in their hubris, that they know best. Provided you join or “join” their Greater Good under their leadership. Everyone else is killed. Presumably because death is better than not being dictated to by the Tau.

Also, as a result of surviving attacks from the major factions in the galaxy yet being blissfully unaware that those were merely tiny brushes or stragglers of vastly larger forces, the Tau believe they have proven they can truly hold their own in the galaxy against all the major players. As of Eighth Edition they were corrected quite painfully due to the opening of the Great Rift and the loss of most of their Fourth Sphere Expansion forces to a Warp rift, and following a massive Chaos invasion they have been forced to face the possibility that their empire might have bitten off more than it can chew.

==Military Doctrine==
[[Image:TauTyr2.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Close-quarters painting [[Drawfag|strikes again.]] (What a badass Hammerhead pilot)]]
The Tau military is basically the cherished love child of the United States military and its Japanese anime waifu.

The Tau disdain [[Choppy|melee]] [[Rip and tear|combat]] in favour of [[Shooty|ranged combat]], which renders them instantaneously [[Matt Ward|less manly]] in the eyes of most of /tg/'s playerbase. The reasons behind this are complicated. Generally, Tau see hand to hand combat in warfare as an anachronism, which makes sense, considering their basic guns can rip apart tank side armour. In addition, the Tau's body is adapted for flying — prehistoric Tau had gliding flaps like flying squirrels — thus compared to almost all other major races Tau have less muscle strength (heck, less body mass in general), have lower reaction speed, and are hyperopic/farsighted. In their initial design it was said in their first White Dwarf that they are a race that adopted the bow and arrow rather than how humanity adopted the sword.

That said, Tau do practice martial arts - Fire Warrior trials and rites involve knives. Ethereals have a tradition of fighting non-lethal duels to settle disputes, using sharp bladed weapons no less, so they are often quite good with their fighting style, as [[Aun'Shi]] has shown to some unfortunate Orks (keep in mind Aun'shi trained against Shas'Vre to get that good). And although the average Tau is indeed slightly weaker than an average human, they're still close enough to be Strength 3 just like Imperial Guardsmen. It's just that close combat is not their strong suit and they would rather fall back on guns than blades.

The Tau practice economy of force, which has consequences both on and off the battlefield. Sending excessive amounts of force at a target is wasteful, as the excess firepower would be more useful elsewhere. This is also an economic matter, as lower power units are cheaper and the Tau do not have an infinite supply of the rare materials needed to produce the strongest Battlesuits.

The Tau's superior [[Dakka|firepower]] is similar to that of the [[Imperial Guard]], but their strategy is much different, with an emphasis on tactical precision, mobility, the application of technology, and the initiative of individual units. Their military doctrine is not based on winning by attrition, not just because they disdain it but also because they simply can't afford it. Therefore they take great pains to avoid the bloody epic clusterfucks that characterize the style of warfare that is preferred by other factions such as the Imperium and Orks. In short, Tau use modern warfare tactics and strategies in a universe where everyone else fights like it's WW2.

Rather, they use infiltration and their sophisticated battlesuits to [[Anal Circumference|bypass enemy strong points and launch deep into their rear]], cutting supply lines and logistics, destroying headquarters and support units, leaving enemies cut off and functionally helpless. There are numerous examples of Tau literally starving and/or thirsting entire armies to death by cutting out their supply lines, while simultaneously harassing them with night raids, ambushes and air strikes to the point the survivors are leaderless, demoralized, out of ammo and fuel, and can barely stand due to exhaustion. The [[Imperial_Armour_Volume_Three:_The_Taros_Campaign#Volume_Three_-_The_Taros_Campaign|Taros]] campaign is a prime example of these tactics (and of the Imperium's strategic stupidity).

Of course, these kinds of tactics only work fine against more convenient armies like the Imperial Guard or Orks. When it comes to Space Marines and Eldar, who sport mostly aerial/warp/webway supply lines, operate as elite armies without obvious weak spots to exploit, have similar or superior tactical mobility and badass officers that can survive most assassination attempts, Tau lose huge parts of their usual advantages (but get the numerical superiority in return). Against utterly unconventional foes, like Tyranids, Daemons or Necrons... well, all times they faced such foes, Tau either devised some entirely new strategies, or lost horribly.

[[File:TauTyr.jpg|thumb|left|300px|90% of Tau [[dakka]] comes in the form of [[Plasma|pretty blue lights.]]]]
The Tau, again, boast some of the most powerful ranged weaponry on the tabletop game, and can crank out more concentrated firepower than any other faction with the lone exceptions of the Imperial Guard and maybe the orks if you only count number of bullets in the air, and even then, the Tau's weapons hit quite a bit harder. They have pathetic hand-to-hand combat skills, however, and so the Tau bolster this by using several inducted races (the [[Kroot]], Vespid, and even some [[Gue'vesa|humans cut off from the Imperium during the Damocles Crusade]]) to act as buffers against assault troops to allow Tau Fire Warrior teams and their heavy, long-ranged firepower to tear enemies apart. The most pivotal, and perhaps most infamous, part of the Tau army are their [[Battlesuit|Battlesuits]], which can mount multiple heavy weapon systems and provide excellent mobility to their pilots, all on a fairly durable unit.

The Tau space navy is strong for its size, and Tau warships are quite powerful on a one-for-one basis. Tau air units are among the best in the game as well, with aircraft that are equal to and often superior to their Imperial Guard equivalents, including a stealth fighter, multipurpose heavy fighter, a superheavy fighter with guns that can one-shot a Titan, and their own [[Manta|Titan-equivalent]] (which is a small starship). Unlike the Imperium, they freely deploy flyers in very large numbers, with only Orks, Tyranids, and perhaps Necrons able to rival them in numbers when it's time to dogfight. Of course this is the way the Imperial fleets' atmospheric support craft are ''supposed'' to work too if fleet officers weren't a bunch of assholes who do everything they can to provide as little air support as possible.

On defense, the Tau are a bit unusual: they leave only token garrisons at their colonies to protect them. These garrisons are intended for scouting rather than combat, avoiding engagement in order to observe and report on invaders using Pathfinders, scanning towers, and drones. Because the Tau have fairly powerful spacefleets and usually keep their forces within reasoned distance of potential hotspots, any potential threat can be quickly dealt with by organizing a hunter cadre to be sent to deal with the situation. For those of you who don't get it, it's Frederick the Great's "he who tries to protect everything protects nothing" strategy.

Of course, this strategy means Tau must have some worlds actually being heavily defended - and in fact they do. Sept worlds tend to be guarded by some nasty space stations and garrisoned by large numbers of hunter cadres and auxiliary troops. This allows such worlds to act as major defensive nodes from which response fleets can be dispatched and to which evacuation fleets rally (think feudal Japan style castles from which commanders would send trained garrisons out to protect the lands around it from encroaching armies). In case some really scary shit like an Imperial crusade or a Tyranid hive-fleet comes into the sept, it is on the sept world where the decisive battle is fought (See the First Damocles Crusade for an example of this tactic in action).

This has, however, backfired on occasion, since it does mean that the Tau garrisons are very vulnerable in the initial stages of an attack. It also makes them very vulnerable to Orphean War style rapid assaults where the attacker is advancing so quickly the defender doesn't even have time to relay the news that they're under attack to the rest of their army. While the Tau haven't yet faced something like the Maynarkh Dynasty, they are awfully close to the Sautekh Dynasty and Imotekh is a noted cantankerous asshole and egotistical conqueror.

A distinct advantage the Tau have is their willingness to change military strategy without ego. As examples, look at how they changed tactics in reaction to the [[Damocles Crusade]] by the Imperium of Man, and even built an entirely new space fleet to match humans in straight-on space fights, or their unusual but effective choice of switching to older weapons when dealing with [[Hive Fleet Gorgon]].

==Fleet==
[[File:Tau_Map.JPG|500pc|right|thumb|The Domain of the Weebs.]]

In the old fluff, the T'au used to have equip their ships with reverse-engineered warp drives from an unknown faction that crashed a starship on one of their home world's moons. Using their gravitic wave technology (think a sail) they used this to skim the surface of the warp before bouncing back to the Materium after a short while (1/3 the speed of optimal Imperial warp drives).

New fluff, on the other hand, has retconned that by giving them what is called a "slingshot drive" or "skip drive." From what little fluff we have on it, it looks like the reality-based theoretical warp drive (in the modern physics meaning, i.e. the Alcubierre bubble). The practical applications, however, are the same in both new and old fluff - Tau FTL is much slower than the Imperium's, but is predictable, reliable, and not affected by warp storms (a big deal, given Tau spent half of their history inside one). As a result, Tau are capable of building highly reliable interstellar logistics lines over short distances, but their strategic mobility is... lacking, to say the least. Compared to pretty much every other faction the Tau move at an absolute snail's pace, hence the reason why their worlds are so tightly packed together. Of course, if the slingshot drive was THE best way to travel normally without the Warp and to avoid Warp phenomena, the radically more advanced Dark Age Humanity would have slapped the drives on every type of ship they had. They didn't, which implies that this technology is a dead end, a stopgap solution at best.

Additionally, slingshot drives are rather big, heavy, and power-hungry, even compared to the Warp drive (which itself can constitute 1/3 the volume of an Imperial ship). As a result, escort-class Tau spacecraft are built without FTL drives and are hooked to bigger ships for the purpose of interstellar travel, which basically make them equivalents of the Imperium's system monitor ships, with the same benefits (cheap, compact, fast, powerful and durable for their size) without their major downside (being incapable of FTL flight). Tau FTL limitations mean that they have to be more precise in how they concentrate their forces; they can't throw a bunch of ships into a warzone from halfway across the galaxy as Orks and humans can.
Tau empire have two fleets:
*Kor'Vatra, or "merchant fleet", is made of older modular ships that double as merchant and colony vessels (hence the name). One of their main shticks is huge arcs of fire for most gun batteries, with side batteries easily covering front arc, and nose batteries covering all but the stern - as a result, while Kor'vatra Ships may not have as much firepower as Imperial or Ork ones, they can focus more of it on one target. On the flip side, merchant ships while decently fast at sub-light, are not very agile, and must rely on escort wings and auxiliary fleets against more maneuverable foes. Even after the founding of Kor'Or'Vesh, the Kor'Vatra still see a lot of military use, especially against the Imperium, precisely because it's regarded as a non-military fleet. This is so Tau diplomats could tell their Imperial colleagues, "What battle cruisers on your orbit are you talking about? It's just our merchant vessels, moving goods to and from our trade missions."
*Kor'Or'Vesh, or "combat fleet" is a newer fleet, made for battling the Imperium's fleet in straight up combat, after Kor'Vatra got run over during the Damocles crusade. Made out of more compact, maneuverable and better armored ships, it may lack Kor'Vatra's wide arcs of fire, but is superior in every other regard, and as the Taros and second Damocles campaigns showed, it is more than capable of fighting off humans even if outnumbered.
Both fleets use largely the same technologies: railguns as short-range (by Tau standards), high-damage gun batteries; ion cannons as long-range beams (lance equivalent); and, above all, powerful small-craft ordnance (second only to Eldar and available in far greater numbers). Mantas, Barracudas, and EMP drone-torpedoes reign supreme at extreme ranges, gaining the Tau navy the same reputation their ground armies have. Because their small-craft ordnance is so powerful, most Tau ships tend more towards carrier and torpedo boat archetypes than battleships, and suffer horribly if an enemy comes within macro-cannon or boarding range (note the "if"). Technically, Imperial warships are, as they are when compared to most other factions, far superior. The problem for the Imperium is, like always, those warships are very rare, built in tiny numbers, and never around when you need them.

==Non-combat Fluff==
[[File:Tau city.jpg|450px|thumb|right|Contrary to what [[Imperium of Man|some]] believe, what this picture shows might just be the future for the entire galaxy if the Tau [[Great Crusade|get their way.]]]]
The Tau were a new race/culture found by the Imperium of Man during their "slash and burn" exploration of their galactic neighborhood. The Tau were still pastoral, had just discovered flint tools and charcoal, and the Imperium had them scheduled for "[[Grimdark|routine cleansing]]" (Low Gothic for “ruthless genocide”) and make room for colonization. Needless to say, that plan was promptly [[derp|fucked up]]. By an unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on your viewpoint) coincidence which almost certainly involved the dickery of [[Tzeentch]] or [[Cegorach]] or [[The Deceiver|something]], warp storms started hitting the entire galaxy, right around the rise of Vandire, which occluded the Tau homeworld, so nobody could get in or out. Since the Tau were virtually invisible in the warp, the warp storm didn't have much of an effect on them as they were immune to the influences of Chaos.

[[FAIL|The sector was labeled "lost to Chaos,"]] and cleansing was [[What|deferred indefinitely]]. Then [[Age of Apostasy|this shit]] happened, and almost all records about Tau were lost in the ensuring [[Rape|clusterfuck]] of civil war. Only the Adeptus Mechanicus still had records of this first contact when the storm died down 6,000 years later. By then, the Tau had expanded to fill out the 'Cluster', colonizing hundreds of planets and incorporating dozens of alien races. They were put back on the radar when the Imperium found out their border worlds Kleist and Garrus, and probably a bunch of others, changed sides and gave up on Terra.

The Damocles Crusade was launched. The extermination order still stood—it was just going to be much more difficult than the Imperium expected, seeing as the Tau, instead of [[C.S. Goto|throwing spears and rocks at their tanks]] and Space Marines, were now throwing [[ion cannon|ion charges]], <s>[[plasma|plasma blasts]]</s> particle accelerators (pulse rifles), and [[railgun|electromagnetically-accelerated hypervelocity projectiles]] at their tanks and Space Marines.

Tau history is pretty typical up through the iron-age: a knack for engineering, warfare between "urban" farmers and "barbarian" nomads, and unrestrained growth causing a series of plagues, leading to a dark age. Here's where things go sideways, though the Tau see it as the start of their endless Golden Age: the arrival of the Ethereals. Legend tells of a five-year siege at the castle of Fio'taun, with both sides starving and succumbing to disease, when two foreign Tau entered the battlefield. One went to the castle, the other to the barbarian tribes. Each of these Tau had a quiet grace and irresistible authority. In just a few hours, the castle was persuaded to open their gates, and the barbarians laid down their weapons, and both parties met to parley a truce.

These strange Tau called themselves "Ethereals," and stressed the importance of peace and understanding between all Tau. They described a "Greater Good" that each Tau must strive towards. Soon after, soon enough to seem simultaneous, more of these strange new Tau emerged across the continent with their message of peace and co-operation for all Tau. Their quiet authority was always respected, and their message of harmony was universally embraced. Wait a minute, [[God-Emperor of Mankind|I've seen this]] [[Great Crusade|historical pattern before]]....

Perhaps uniquely for the setting, Tau-human interactions bear the whiff of realpolitik. On the one hand, the Imperium wants to exterminate them ''eventually'', but the upper management generally realizes that the Tau are going to be a giant drain of resources and manpower to get rid of, given the stiff resistance they put up in [[Damocles Crusade|previous campaigns]] and their [[Riptide|uniformly]] [[railgun|advanced]] [[battlesuit|technology]]. Furthermore, they serve as a useful buffer state against various threats on the Eastern Fringe, from Orks and Chaos raiders to Tyranid hive fleets to alien forces the Imperium hasn't had (recorded) contact with. Their existence deflects danger from Imperial space, and in a place and time when the Imperium is [[Time of Ending|coming under attack from all sides]], that's more important than dogma.

This strategy is not unique to the Tau only though, as the Imperium allows countless other (much more dangerous) xeno empires to prosper in the Eastern Fringe to serve as an ablative shield against much nastier shit. Amongst those is (for example) the Charadon ork empire, which is older than the Imperium and spawns a Waaagh! once or twice per millennium (even with the routine warboss assasination raids that the Ultramarines make). Even after the emergence of the genius warboss Snagrod and his Waagh on Rynn no one cared to issue a crusade against them. So yeah, the Tau Empire is not even close to being recognized as a threat dangerous enough to actually do something about.

Conversely, the Tau have realized just how massive an undertaking expanding through the entire galaxy would really be, and are taking it slow. They mostly absorb Imperial buffer worlds stripped of manpower and armament in the face of massive redeployments to face other threats, offering the Empire's protection in return for annexation. When this doesn't work, the Tau outright conquer the places that don't take the deal. The Tau have claimed that they are engaging in this sort of aggressive behavior because ''someone's'' going to [[Tyranids|gobble]] those settlements up sooner or later, and if ''they'' don't do it, then whoever does won't be [[Exterminatus|nearly as nice about it]]. While baldly self-serving, that logic is... well, mostly correct, really.

There's no love lost between the Imperium and the Tau, but open full-scale war is probably unlikely in the near-future after the stalemate of the Second Damocles Crusade and the veritable host of far greater existential threats that the Imperium is currently facing.

Looking at the new galactic map, where the Tau are now sandwiched between their own eye of terror and a Necron dynasty, they are soon to be fucked...<s>Maybe...</s> And lo and behold, they done got buttfucked by the Death Guard! But it's not all bad as they've found a cure for 1st generation Genestealer infections and they've finally broken out of their nook with the 5th Sphere; one of their biggest fears was being stuck in a globular cluster because one super nova could still put the kibosh on the whole thing.

However things turn out, as they continue to expand the Tau will inevitably see renewed clashes with the factions arrayed against them.

=== Castes ===
[[File:Commander HawkEye.jpg|thumb|290px|right|<s>Join the Greater Good, lose your virginity to a hot alien babe!</s> Non-approved sexual contact is an offence to the Greater Good, Gue'la. Now get back to work or you won't get your overtime pay! TAU GET OVERTIME PA{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|Asking questions is heresy!}} *PEW* You are an affront to the Greater Good, gue'ui.]]
Tau society after the arrival of Ethereals was organized into castes; everyone with a place, and a place for everyone. [[Love Can Bloom|Interbreeding between castes and Xenos races]] is one of the most severe crimes in the Empire, in other words, <s>eugenics</s> [[Heresy]]. This was outlawed by the [[Ethereal]]s presumably to preserve the biological differences between castes; the result is the creation of 5 sub-species. Tau society does have many examples of romance, and there are designations of 'pair' bonding at least amongst the Earth Caste. The Tau have children which they both raise and also send to the creches but they seem to monitor birth rates (likely to match resource levels as well as provide an additional level of social engineering).

There also seems to be a tribal system that remains from pre-Caste days that we don't know too much about. We know that bloodlines have some kind of importance, but as a meritocracy, it does not have a bearing on social constraints. They also can have relatively large families, Shadowsun had three sisters for example.

Breeding is managed by the Earth Caste, but, there is at least one instance where a pair-bond has their own child, so perhaps there is a degree of choice ''(if real caste systems are any guide, the Earth Caste probably only cares about the castes and septs the pair come from)''. Otherwise, Tau are paired in a way that will create the best biological result. An Imperial genetor's report in the fourth edition Tau codex observes the presence of synthetic proteins in Tau internal organs and suggests them as evidence that their evolution has been accelerated, though he might have been confused by synthetic proteins that the Tau were given as the Tau make extensive use of things like advanced medicines and treatments. [[/tg/]] seems to be under the strong impression that they are mammals, as you can see in the picture further down the page, despite the complete implausibility of this theory. The frequent [[/d/|sexualization]] of the Tau by fa/tg/uys remains a mystery.

It is very important to note that a Tau's caste is inherited from the parents, and under no circumstances can a Tau's caste be changed. On one hand, this helps explain why Tau forbid inter-caste mating. On the other, it means that the Caste system applies ''only'' to the Tau themselves. Aliens have no caste to inherit, and thus can never be inducted into a Tau caste. This remains true no matter how many generations pass. Therefore, while aliens within the Tau Empire are certainly able to rise to positions that hold great responsibility and respect while living lives of relative freedom, they will forever remain outside the caste system. And because the caste system inherently favors the Tau, it is an ugly little secret of the Empire that for all their talk of equality, aliens remain somewhat second-class citizens compared to the Tau themselves. Obviously, the Tau don't care to discuss such topics.

Not just genes but also certain knowledge and skills are forbidden from exchange in Tau society. A Fire Warrior attempting to learn how to repair his Battlesuit just as likely to be {{BLAM}}'d as a Guardsman who tries to fix his own Sentinel instead of begging a Tech Priest. Unlike the Imperium for the Tau, this is not a question of religious dogma. But Etheral control, by segregating the society it becomes impossible for the Tau to ever unify without their masters and leaves each caste at the mercy of its siblings. [[Time_of_Rebirth|Sound]] [[Second_Founding|familiar?]]

==== {{anchor|Fire|Fire Caste}} Shas (Fire) ====
The '''Fire Caste''' consists of the various [[Fire Warrior|warriors]] of the Tau Empire. The miniatures of a Tau army in a [[Warhammer 40,000]] game are almost exclusively Fire Caste. Other castes think Shas are overly-aggressive hotheads due to their tendency to solve all problems by applying more plasma (when the Tau first encountered other sentient species, Fire Caste representatives immediately voted to hunt down and exterminate them, just like they hunted down dangerous local life forms on the other world they colonized). Whether or not Fire Caste members are ''actually'' "overly aggressive" compared to other [[Wyches|kinky]], [[Haemonculus|horrid]], [[World_Eaters|Earthshatteringly mad]], [[Night_Lords|batshit insane]], [[Blood Angels|bloodthirsty]] individuals and groups is a matter of debate. On the other hand, it also shows how calm and disciplined other castes are as well as the importance of the balance that the Ethereals bring to the Tau.
Part of this aggression might be down to the Tau concept of being [[Heresy|"between spheres"]] where Tau who act too much like a member of a caste they aren't part of are punished. Leading to an army with few to no diplomatic officers because if you don't fight like a constipated World Eater your not seen as manly enough to survive.

Generations of Etheral mandated eugenics have bred the Fire Warriors taller than Earth Caste Tau, and physically stronger than the Air and Water Castes, though they remain slightly shorter than the average human and about as strong. A far cry from the [[Space_Marines|Gue'ron'sha]] they consider their human equivalent.

==== {{anchor|Earth|Earth Caste}} Fio (Earth) ====
The '''Earth Caste''' are the laborers and engineers; they are the "civilians" of Tau society. Their appearance can vary widely, though other Tau would describe them as "plain." They all have a stoic outlook, with little ambition other than to excel in their career of choice and work for the Greater Good. Unlike the Imperial worker classes, whose quality of life generally ''starts'' at working 14-hour days seven days a week while living off of dried recycled dung chips and goes [[Such is life on Volg|''downhill from there'']], the Earth caste is mostly concerned with technological planning and engineering as well as artwork which they incorporate into their creations. They are also scientists and work hand in hand with the Water Caste to develop new technologies (like the rail rifle).

The Farsight Enclaves field some Earth Caste pilots for their battlesuits, demonstrating their more flexible caste systems and/or their desperation for manpower but there are examples of Earth Caste work teams being able to defend themselves in a pinch.

==== {{anchor|Air|Air Caste}} Kor (Air) ====
The '''Air Caste''' are the aerospace specialists of the Tau. In more primitive times they served as messengers and couriers, and sometimes scouts/explorers, gliding on membranous anatomical wings like flying squirrels through T'au's atmosphere (although this might be a myth). When the Tau started exploring offworld, it was the Air Caste that took charge of the vessels traveling between the stars and became tall with super frail physiques due to zero-g living. Now the Air Caste are the Tau stellar navy/airforce/mailmen, piloting the Empire's various carriers, warships, and emissary cruisers. Air caste Tau tend to be tall and slender like runners or dancers, and this is frequently exaggerated by the years the Tau navy spends in low-gravity.

Despite their slender stature and lack of muscle mass, Air caste pilots are extremely resistant to G-force, making them excellent void and atmospheric fighter pilots (simultaneously, as small Tau voidcraft also double as atmospheric craft). They also, clearly, have engineer and military classes as they live in Air Caste cities made up of their own population; going to show that Castes have multiple cross overs for responsibilities rather than anything as rigid as the Farsight books describe.

==== {{anchor|Water|Water Caste}} Por (Water) ====
The '''Water Caste''' are the emissaries of the Tau. They are diplomats, merchants, and civil servants. The most open-minded Tau can be found among the Water caste, with some even showing individual ambition (but still for the greater good of the Tau Empire). When a new culture is encountered, the Water caste are sent in first to negotiate. If talks break down, the Water caste are withdrawn so that the Fire Caste can start negotiating with pulse weapon fire. Also, unlike their Imperial equivalents in bureaucracy, the [[Administratum]], they are brisk, efficient, and very good at their jobs. No dumping valuable ammo on an uninhabited dust world because no one signed the paperwork not to.

It's a lesser known fact that Pors also run the Tau intelligence and espionage network, and Por'Os and Por'Els from this branch are pretty much Tau Inquisitors except more competent, much saner, and not nearly as good at kicking asses personally. As of the second Damocles Crusade the Imperium has designated the Water caste as a primary threat above any other Tau caste. This is because the Water caste's skill in subterfuge, diplomacy and propaganda has cost the Imperium more worlds and manpower than the Fire and Air caste's military prowess combined. They even managed to totally outplay the Inquisition on its own field, which royally pissed them off, even turning an Inquisitor (O'Va'Dem) to their side, as seen in the novel ''Broken Sword''.

The Air Caste also do a quite a lot of things like leading exploration initiatives like the one that discovered the Kroot empire as it was getting rickrolled by the Orks, and fought for their liberation for 12 years.

==== {{anchor|Ethereal|Ethereal Caste}} Aun (Ethereal) ====
The '''Ethereal Caste''' are basically the philosopher-kings described by Plato in "The Republic". In theory, they are selfless and always focused on what is best for the Greater Good ("Tau'va") for all Tau without exception. The Ethereals are inspirational to all Tau caste members, and merely being near one will inspire a Tau soldier, engineer, pilot, or diplomat to work harder.

In the case of the Fire Caste, some Ethereals accompany hunter cadres in battle during important deployments so as to better lead/inspire the troops, which works because all Tau in the combat zone will fight to their bitter deaths. They also seem to have semi-magical powers (don't ask how they work, none of the Tau know themselves) that allow Tau around them to do special things, like running while shooting. The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] theorizes that the respect the Ethereal Caste gets from all other Tau is caused by a pheromone. ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTAU....... The Tau laugh at this suggestion, of course.
Also, ''[[Xenology]]'' relates a story from a major, insectoid race called the [[Q'Orl]] which alleges that the [[Eldar]] stole one of their queens. Given that these queens have a magic, yellow, diamond-shaped sack that produces mind-control pheromone... well, let's just say the characters in the story figure it out quickly enough. There is a theory that the Ethereals themselves are also affected by their own pheromones, which could explain why they're so selfless and uncorrupted despite their absolute power (although being uncorrupted no longer seems to apply after 7th/8th edition).

This can also be supported by the (old as fuck and likely retconned) novelization of [[Warhammer_40,000:_Fire_Warrior|Fire Warrior]], where the Ethereal character has a pretty level head and chipper demeanor despite having been [[Anal_Circumference|repeatedly captured and tortured by both the Inquisition and Chaos, watching his diplomatic retinue chopped up by a Chaos Lord, and mind-raped by said Chaos Lord all in the span of roughly two days.]] Either he's a stoic old motherfucker, or he's just too busy tripping his blue balls on his own pheromones to give a shit.

8th ed has a particularly interesting story in it and it proves without a shadow of a doubt: the Ethereal caste does use some kind of mind-altering substance or influence on the Tau. During a meeting with Commander O'Ryn and Aun'Va (who is a solid hologram controlled by an AI at this point) in the planet of Junica, their location was ambushed by Chaos forces and Aun'Va (or the AI acting like Aun'Va) ordered O'Ryn to send her forces on what's essentially a suicide mission. O'Ryn, not seeing the point of throwing her and her soldiers' lives at such a hopeless battle, actually ''defied'' the command of an ethereal (and the space pope himself, no less) and retreated. It could've been an interesting and pretty terrifying critique of how manipulative a totalitarian system can be and that the Ethereals don't shy away from anything to keep the people in line. But no, it was explained with mind control, which is way lazier and honestly way less terrifying (that's because Phil Kelly wrote it). Yet, then there is another example of Aun'shi who hides his ridge crest so that none of the other Tau know he's an Ethereal.

You pick which is more likely- clearly GW can't.

O'Ryn was eventually declared a renegade and Farsight took her in, but it does indeed prove that the unflinching and unquestioning loyalty and fanaticism that the Ethereals' physical presence inspire on nearby Tau aren't due to their charisma or the Tau's indoctrination, and instead on something more sinister. To put this into perspective: O'Ryn has been the first Tau since Farsight to actively defy an ethereal's command and the main reason she was able to do so was because she was speaking to an AI-controlled drone, instead of the actual space pope.

...so it doesn't matter.

Additionally, in the novel Farsight: Crisis of Faith by Phil Kelly (detailing the Farsight Expedition) not only is a Tau Water Caste Magister possessed by a daemon of Tzeentch (which is bullshit), but the Magister is then banished [[Mary Sue|by Farsight carving a bloody hexagram into its chest with his bonding knife]] (Imperium Hexagrammic Wards don't even work that way, but fuck other writers, am I right phil?). Aun'Va uses mind control to have the Magister's superior kill herself. Why? Because he'd dared to say the truth out loud, that the Ethereals were eager to send Farsight off to Damocles so that the immensely popular golden boy won't become a challenge to their rule back home. The ambassador went to her death thinking the ever reasonable Ethereals would let her off with a slap on the wrist for what was basically a breach of etiquette, instead she was dominated into committing suicide for ''being the mentor of someone who'd cast the tiniest bit of doubt on Ethereal motives''.

...Which begs the question, "Why?" Why would the Ethereals care about revealing the truth about Daemons when the Tau have been fighting Daemons for hundreds of years? They don't have religion, they don't feed the Warp, daemons should have nothing to fuck-do with the Tau except as a speed bump to somewhere-else-ville. This replay of the Emperor's rule book is just more lazy writing.

Farsight originally lost his Ethereals and kept going because he though he knew better than them and because he was still butthurt from Arkunasha. He's guilty of believing he knows what is best for his fellow renegades, and he's probably not wrong... so he stays out beyond the Gulf so that he can continue the fight.

===Tau Names===
[[File:Tau_Lexicon_2015_ver.1.0.pdf|right|thumb|250px|A fanmade document that dives a little into Tau lexicon]]
Tau have ridiculously long, detailed and actually meaningful names. Their names contain their caste, rank, birth sept, and one or more nicknames earned by them through the course of their lives. Fluff does say that they ''do'' have birth names, but those are only used before tau earn at least one appropriate nickname, as a name given to them by comrades is considered more valuable than one just chosen by random at their birth. The nickname part and its importance surprisingly is actually taken from the Roman culture, which is weird, given most Tau culture tend to be based on China and Japan (except for their social and government structures which are copied almost verbatim from Plato's Republic).

Also, do note the lack of last names, which is expected, since Tau society pretty much have no institute of a family, with children being raised in centralized facilities apart from their parents. As a Tau grows, moves through ranks and achieves the respect of their comrades their name changes appropriately, switching the rank part, adding new nicknames and sometimes dropping the old and outdated ones. For example, when Farsight was still a lowly fire warrior, his name was '''Shas'La Vior'La Shoh''' (Fire Caste Private of the Hot-Blooded sept Inner Light), and at the "present days" '''Shas'O Vior'La Shovah Kais Mont'yr''' (Fire Caste Commander of the Hot-Blooded sept Farsight Skillful Blooded). How the fuck Tau bureaucracy is able to keep track of their population with their names constantly changing is a mystery, but it seems they have no problem with that, probably because they just track ID numbers when names are too much of an issue like most sane people who work with databases.

For the sake of convenience Tau often use shortened versions of names, almost always dropping the sept part and secondary nicknames, and if speaking within one caste the caste part too, so in the case of Farsight other fire warriors could refer to him as O'Shovah, while for example an Ethereal would call him Shas'O'Shovah (assuming Farsight allows this; given his seething hatred of Ethereals he's the type who'd force them to use his full name out of spite). Humans and other non-Tau often get this system wrong and shorten the names in a ways that make little sense: for example, Imperium's Taros invasion force thought the Taros' chief Ethereal's name was Aun'El, which was only his caste and rank, and as the book was mostly written from the Imperium's standpoint, we still don't know what his actual name was.

One final stroke of Tau naming is that as they abandon their true (birth) names it makes them even more resistant to sorcery and daemonic powers that often require the target's true name to amplify their effect or even make the spell work at all.

===Psychic/Chaos Defenses===
Tau as a species are comprised of psychic blunts. They cannot produce psykers and have limited innate resistance to some forms of psychic powers and daemonic bullshit. People often mistake this resistance to outright invulnerability, but in truth it's more akin to camouflage. Tau DO have souls, but their souls cast such a dim light in the Warp that they are, at best, indistinguishable from the spirits of non-sapients, and at times they even blend into the psychic background of inanimate objects. This may have something to do with how unemotional Tau are, as some of the more descriptive bits of fluff demonstrate how warp shenanigans like faint whispers and creeping feelings of "wrongness" may cause humans to freak out and try to run away immediately, the more calm and collected Tau don't notice anything strange at all. Likewise, if a psyker tries to mind-rape a Tau or a daemon tries to posses a Tau they'd find it hard to find a soul to target at all, but in the unlikely event that they were somehow successful, there would be even less resistance than with regular humans. Sadly while this trait is often shown in the fluff, it does not affect Tau crunch in any way aside from their total lack of psykers.

This innate defense is further strengthened by the Greater Good philosophy deeply indoctrinated into each Tau from childhood and reinforced through the subtle control exerted by the Ethereals. Tau'Va is the antithesis of all the creeds of Chaos, which makes Tau all but immune to its temptations, and only two Tau have ever actually fallen to Chaos. The first was the Water Caste member Water Spider, who was possessed by a Daemon of Tzeentch - although, rather amusingly, the daemon forced Water Spider to become obsessed with the truth, something abhorrent to the Water Caste. The second was [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior|Shas'la Kais]]. Though Kais was untained in the video game adaptation, the much better novelization had Kais getting an assist from Khorne throughout his adventure, though he was permanently scarred by Khorne's influence and the conflict. [[Grimdark|This left him permanently insane and hospitalized, unable to meaningfully respond to his friends and environment]].) That being said, the Tau have only just been exposed to the more material horrors of the galaxy; should they become jaded and start losing faith in the Greater Good (as inferred with giving up on indoctrinating certain species), well, that would be an entirely different situation. Their allies, including the Kroot, have sometimes been known to go all-in with Chaos worship, although Tau seldom take culture from their allied races.

8th Ed is here, and has confirmed that the Tau aren't immune to Chaos, just rather difficult for Daemons to spot. When the Tau started the 4th Sphere Expansion with their new warp drives they didn't take a note from the Imperials' tech and failed to invent the [[Gellar Field]] too, meaning they were fully vulnerable to the Warp's denizens. The entire experience was hilarious. First was the unpredictability of their warp drives (known as "slipstream technology" to them) that caused most of their expeditionary fleet to be destroyed due to unleashing massive tears in the fabric of reality, [[lulz|while being broadcasted to the Tau sept worlds, causing the Ethereals to rapidly evacuate their bowels as they scramble to censor the event for the wider populace.]] Those that weren't immediately torn up by the warp rifts were sucked into the Warp where a vast majority was either destroyed after drifting in the more unsavory parts of the Warp or by the various daemons mucking about.

Contact was lost, but the Tau managed to find the survivors later, nestled into several worlds that were the original target for conquest. The Tau that survived, however, were acting weird. Some of them had clearly rejected the Greater Good, while some worshiped a voice that they claim to be the Greater Good itself (which may or may not be a warp entity), while some were outright driven insane. A disturbing trend about them was their total [[Imperium|xenophobia and brutality]]. Any non-Tau who wasn't driven off from the 4th Sphere colonies were murdered because [[Chaos God|something]] was telling the survivors that the auxiliaries were the reason for their loss and torment due to their more powerful connection to the Warp.

That being said, they're still hard for Daemons to see, considering that the Fourth Sphere dove into the Warp unprotected and "merely" got off with plain Chaos corruption when most people who try that shit critfail their [[anal circumference]] roll and either gets torn apart by daemon cocks or becomes [[Chaos Spawn|a Chaos spaaauuuughgghblblblbbl]].

Also, the 8E Daemons Codex does mention one Tau agri-world that was cut off from supplies, eventually succumbing to the native faith revering a certain "Rainfather" - [[Rotigus]] Rainfather, a notorious [[Great Unclean One]].

As always, any inconsistency on how the Tau are, or aren't, affected by Warp exposure is entirely GW's fault.

==Alliances==
[[File:Illus4.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Unfortunately for some [[Slaanesh|deviants]] [[Extra Heresy|and heretical elements on]] [[/tg/]]. [[Not as Planned|This is what an actual canon Tau Female looks like.]] No boobs, no curves, no ass, no redeeming qualities other than having a face of your grandmother and the nose of a mutilated vag. Know the alien. Hate the alien. Purge the alien. The Emperor Protects! <s>This is an Ethereal though, so the other castes should be fair game.</s>]]
{{MattWard}}

In 6th edition, Tau are notable for being one of two factions (the other being Imperial Guard) who can ally with anyone except for 'Nids. Yes, this includes [[Wat|both Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons]].

Their current level of naïveté led to a few... ''interesting'' alliances, to say the least.

First off, Tau ''can'' ally with [[Ork]]s, even though fluff-wise they are viewed as enemies of the Greater Good to be purged wherever encountered. Smaller Ork warbands (mostly [[Blood Axes]]) frequently act as mercenaries, of course, so the Tau might use them in that capacity. Plus, there might be fluff changes coming up (most notably, it was rumored that the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]] would return in the new Orks codex; they, of course, would get along quite well with the Tau).

They are also battle brothers with both the Space Marines and Eldar, which has caused a large amount of headscratching on /tg/. The Eldar make a modicum of sense; after all, the Eldar are well known for being expert manipulators. A Tau-Space Marine alliance, though, would be odd, to say the least, since Tau and Space Marines are always going at it in the [[fluff]]. Of course, a minor [[Space Marine Chapter|chapter]] could always find an alliance with the Tau, or even [[Heresy|join the Greater Good]], but that seems far-fetched at best. Old fluff from back in the 3rd edition codex tells a story of a Tau commander letting an Apothecary remove the progenoid glands from dead Marines, establishing that the Tau are honourable warriors in the minds of this particular chapter. It isn't too hard to guess that someone at GW felt that the battle brothers thing was a bit of a head-desk move, so they tried to fix it.

The weirdest part, though, is that Tau ''aren't'' Battle Brothers with the Imperial Guard, despite (or maybe because of) the existence of [[Gue'vesa]] (Imperial Guard defectors).

7th edition corrected all of this for the Tau, making them only battle brothers with themselves and certain allies of convenience, like Necrons and the Eldar, while the rest are desperate allies or, in the case of daemons and 'Nids, Come the Apocalypse. This effectively "fixes" the issue from the point of view of a butthurt puritan while still allowing for those who bought Tau models to include them as allies in their games.

8th edition totally destroyed any chance of Tau having allies in matched play games. Taudar is dead, thank fuck. It's almost like going around attacking everyone who refuses your offer of pseudo-enslavement is a bad way to make friends.

==Tau Member Races==
[[File:Dynamic entry by majesticchicken.jpg|right|thumb|550px|Look up fuckers! You're invited to the latest imperial party and we're not taking "no" for an answer!]]
The Tau are the only faction that willingly accept other races into their ranks. Typically, the races are extended a hand from the Water Caste first, and if they still pose a problem or otherwise refuse to be reasoned with, the Fire Warriors are sent in. It should be noted that tau usually are not in haste of annexing the world, and if the aliens don't want to join right now but aren't immediately hostile and open to trade, Water Caste would slowly but surely convert them into a Greater Good to the point that one day they themselves would ask to join the Empire. The species, when annexed or conquered, are usually allowed to keep their planet, but must answer to the authority of the local Ethereal and possibly the local Shas'o. Most of them are fluff and don't show up on the tabletop, but it would get a little ridiculous if you could purport to play a 'single' 40k race that included, like, twelve different races. Though These do make good excuses if you want to use different models as a proxy.

* Demiurg - <s>[[Squats]] reborn.</s> <s>NOT ANYMORE the Squats are back and not Demiurg at all!</s> They might have been retconned into being part of the [[Leagues of Votann|new Squats]], it's still unclear. They are a race of space-faring miners specializing in ionic weaponry who serve the Tau with their engineering and mining abilities. They make an appearance in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada though, so that's nice.
* Galgs - NOT FROG/TOAD people, big internet snafu here. They have tentacles and chose not to fight the Tau when they realized they'd get steamrolled by the Fire Caste.
* [[Gue'vesa]] - Humans who have not only defected to the Tau, but chosen to take up arms and fight alongside them to serve the Greater Good. Rules for them are found in [[Forge World|Forge World's]] Imperial Armour Volume 3. (If the current trend goes on we may see Sisters join up with the Tau, <s>which might be an improvement for the Sisters.)</s>{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|HERESY!}} They also have planets with generations of humans that have never known the Imperium.
* Hrenian - Alien mercenaries employed for their skills as light infantry. No other information available. Probably [[Lizardmen#Skinks|Skinks]] In Space.
* Ji'atrix - A spacefaring race. No other information available. (Dammit, GW [[Writefag|writefags]].)
* [[Kroot]] - Predatory gene-assimilating avian humanoids. They are the first alien race to be actively recruited by the Tau as mercenaries, and are so regularly hired that they have officially progressed to being considered Auxiliaries of the Tau forces. They have colonization rights and can 'kroot-form' planets.
* [[Vespid|Mal'kor]] - Insectoid aliens, also known as Vespids, who are native to a gas giant planet within the Tau Empire. Serve as Auxiliaries and are considered in extremely high regard by the Fire Caste. They have colonization rights too.
* Morralian - Also known as "Deathsworn". No other information available.
* [[Nicassar]] - A voidfaring race of [[psyker]]s and the only psychically-gifted species in the Tau Empire. The Tau have carefully hidden them away from the Imperium due to their (actually justifiable) psyker-phobia. Were the second alien species to join the Greater Good and have been described by the Deathwatch as an Alpha threat because they can empathically create memories in even Space Marines (can make them think they remember their mother's face for example). Described as having big, bird like heads with beaks.
* Ranghon - No information available. No relation to these [[Rangdan Xenocides|guys]].
* [[Tarellian]] - These guys are basically [[Lizardmen#Saurus|Saurus]] IIIIN SPAAAAACE!!!!!! Not really part of the Empire, but rather mercenaries who will gladly fight humans and Tyranids on the cheap since the Imperium virus-bombed their home world and the Tyranids nommed their biggest colony.
* Poctroon - The first sentient species to be found by the Tau, [[wikipedia:Siege of Fort Pitt|they were "accidentally" driven extinct by Tau smallpox]], and their planet just by coincidence was a great place to set a Sept World; Bork'an.
* Nagi - Brain worms that, due to their horrific appearance and inability to communicate, were attacked by the Fire Caste. They managed to sort it out, though, and now they work with the Ethereals as advisors (because having brain worms about as "advisors" isn't a bad idea or anything). They have been shown in a few books so far, and were involved in a "mind-rip" (guess outright calling it "rape" was too much) of a space marine POW, while being so self-righteous and smug about their mental superiority they could give Eldar a run for their money. Apparently they can also at least perceive the Warp (which they call "extra-dimensional space"), and probably manipulate it as well, and know enough about it to outright refuse to go anywhere near demonically-tainted Agrellan when the Tau invaded it.
* Ji'atrices, Morralians, or Ranghons are probably other Warhammer Fantasy Races In Space, such as [[Lizardmen#Kroxigor|Kroxigors]] or Trolls, given the overall tendency of the Tau to incorporate Fantasy races missing from 40k.

The usually genocidal actions of the other races, most notably the [[Imperium]], also serve as a motivating factor for less-powerful races to join the Tau. While the Tau do seem a minor threat to the Imperium now, if the current policy continues, there will be more and more races joining up with the them if for no other reason than avoiding [[Exterminatus|extermination]]. Of course, the Tau are just coming to realize how vast and powerful the Imperium really is, and how a lot of their member races really ''are'' the victims of crazy, evil, fascist extermination protocols. Usually, the Imperium is entirely justified, though. There's always the chance that a species responsible for a "Hell World" or "Nightmare World" might try to join up with the Tau, and the damage that might be done before the Tau realize their mistake would be tremendous. Good thing the Tau haven't done anything stupid like leave a psychic species ali- oh wait. Well, at least they don't have Warp-sensitive brain worms in close proximity to their lead- oh wait...welp, they're fucked.

==Skub, controversy and hurt-butts==

Twelve year old [[fluff]] (from ''[[Dawn of War]]'', supported by [[Deathwatch]] supplements) has them controlling population growth and habitation of the rebelling humans on Kronus once they come under the rule of the Tau Empire. To be fair though, had it been anyone else they were revolting against, including the Imperials, those humans would just be dead.

The Tau have a few hundred planets after a handful were eaten by Tyranids (discounting allied held worlds and worlds with a minor presence). This used to be two dozen. Despite this, GW writers and fanfiction nerds alike have this strange habit of treating them like a major faction. Most writers don't seem to realize the Tau are one of the smallest, most insignificant minor species in the galaxy. This isn't to insult them, they can always get stronger; it's just the plain truth, given the Tau Empire's current situation. Hopefully the Tau Empire will grow as time goes on, assuming the setting doesn't fall into constant grind never proceeding to the next year for decades ''again''.

One of the more controversial aspects of the Tau is that Games Workshop feels the need to make them seem viable as an army by having their power fluctuate wildly. For example, the Tau can easily subjugate Imperial Hive Worlds and deport its population so easily that it doesn't even get a footnote. You know, those planets in which the population of a single city shocked an Tau ambassador because the city's population was greater than the entirety of the Tau species? Imagine entire planets of those cities, cities in which everyone is an experienced killer (which is why Space Marines love recruiting from Hive Worlds), armed and ready to fling themselves at any invading xenos to purge them with extreme prejudice. These are the same worlds where the PDF alone would be large enough to give the entire Fire Caste a serious headache.

As an example of this, take the Battle of Mu'gulath Bay, known as the Battle of Agrellan to the Imperium. This was a fight over a Hive World which the Tau won, how? Using Riptide Battlesuits. According to GW, the Riptide's armor was impervious to nearly all anti-armor weaponry. The kicker though, is that '''''Deathstrike Missiles''''' ''did nothing'' when its shields were active. You know, the missiles '''''Titans are afraid of''''' and can vaporize armies? And can use Titan-killer warheads? '''Those Missiles'''. Such bullshit. There were like three or four of these suits, by the way.

Another example goes back to the Taros campaign in which a Tau stronghold was mysteriously unable to be blown to hell by sustained bombardment from Colossus mortars and then the Tau ''sallied out'' to engage the Imperial forces and won. In addition, a lot of fights are won by their opponents being uncharacteristically stupid. For example in both the Taros Campaign and the Battle of Agrellan the Imperium suddenly forgets how to defend itself and its supply lines during the second [[Damocles Crusade]] and engages the Tau using formations and tactics that cater to the Tau in the extreme (this is especially egregious in the finale). [[wat|There is even an instance in which an assassin forgets to use her gun to instantly kill her target]]. Even the Marines aren't immune to this sudden stupefying aura. Space Marine Terminators wielding storm shields are seen shot and killed because they were too busy telling each other to raise their shields up to block the Tau's shots [[derp|instead of ''just raising their shields up to block the fucking shots''.]]

There are numerous other things too. The Farsight Enclaves defending ''conquered'' worlds instead of just defending actual Tau worlds. Farsight being spared by a Bloodthirster for no reason. Not being wiped out by the Skitarii's radium weapons. The special ammo Space Marines can use that ignores armor or goes through shields and armor not even being mentioned or used. Invisible Shadowsun ambushing and killing a Raven Guard Chapter Master. Bravestorm somehow intercepting a Vindicare's bullet to save Farsight, and Darkstrider and his Pathfinders somehow finding and killing said assassin because he had a hunch that something was amiss (seriously). The list goes on and on, it's like Games Workshop made an entire faction for us to hate for being Noblebright, which pissed everyone off, so they changed the faction into ''Mary Sues'' instead.

Heck, they even [[Bullshit|cracked the Codex Astartes]] so they're familiar, in theory, with any tactic that an adherent to that text might use. Something no enemy has been able to do. Not Eldar, not Necrons, not Chaos, no one. Not even Primarchs.

==In a Nutshell==
{{HurfDurf}}
;'''The Stated Reasons Why People Hate Tau'''
Weeaboo space confucianists — not grimdark enough.
;'''The ''Real'' Reason Why People Hate Tau'''
{{Powergamer}}
Long ago, the single thing that people hated most about the Tau was undoubtedly the [[Fish of Fury]] tactic. Years later people are STILL bitching about it. Fuck, even most Tau players felt it was bullshit. (The flames have been stoked again due to 9E accidentally reviving it.) That and T'au are consistently considered [[Cheese]] by casual players who bitch and moan about how their army got blown off a featureless table by a Tau'Dar list in 6E and how you are [[That Guy]] for using them. Never mind that the Tau have been nerfed into oblivion in the last three editions and as of 9E they are strictly bottom-tier.

Still, back in the heady days of 6th Edition codex, the Tau were one of the shootiest armies in the shootiest edition of 40k ever. On top of that they had powerful abilities to bitchslap cheesemongers, having hard counters against any of the Wardex bullshit. More generally, the Tau battle philosophy even to this day is, "Deny your opponent the chance to interact with you," which is a good philosophy for real soldiers but can make for frustrating or uninteresting gameplay.

Of course there's also the fluff side of things, and as mentioned above the Tau are given massive amounts of plot armour compared to everyone else in the setting.

Listing the rest of the insane lore armor and other [[skub|interminable list of other assorted stupidities]] that would require their own separate page just to cover them all. Suffice to say for those who are more interested in the fluff their blatant titan grade plot armour can become somewhat infuriating.

;'''A Real Reason Why People Like Tau'''
They are the one race that aren't complete dicks. Of course, their mind-influencing pheromones, psycho-indoctrination, and mass re-education facilities will just have to be ignored if you don't want destroy your wishful thinking for a half-way decent faction to exist in 40k. Even with the warts, it's saying something that they're ''still'' the nicest faction in 40k; they're just a regular oppressive empire, instead of a hyper-ultra terribad megadeath awful xenocidally oppressive empire, or some flavor of insane, omnicidal dystopia.
;'''Another Real Reason Why People Like Tau'''
Most races in 40k (''especially'' the humans) are themed around "feudalism in the future" with a big dose of societal and doctrinal regression. In other words, "we might be in space, but we have peasantry like medieval serfdoms and fight like crusaders with guns." By contrast, the Tau are themed around a real sense of futuristic progress. The Tau aim to create a proper post-scarcity economy (that's why they use robots for manual labor while the Imperium uses literal slaves) and theme their tactics around the modern US Military (the Tau would rather spend bullets than lives, while the Imperium is the opposite). Although, everyone else began like the Tau and learned the hard way. And to be fair, the Imperial Guard was never designed to be used aggressively and has very much been a fish out of water for ten thousand years. The Tau have not yet encountered that. As an interesting side effect, the Tau are capable of fitting into many other sci-fi universes without much trouble, such as ''[[Star Trek]]'' where they would be at home alongside other Factions like the Dominion. Compare that to the Necrons or Eldar which would be both Roflstomps and completely different from all other groups in that Universe (though they might fit in ''[[Doctor Who]]'').

In short: unlike the Imperium, the Tau are the best faction for scratching the future-tech itch of your favorite speculative fiction escapism. The Tau push for innovation and better technology also leads into our next point:
;'''The Real Reason Why People Play Tau'''
Arguably they have the most powerful guns in the game. Often twin-linked. Often on cool-looking robot battlesuits. [[meme|Also markerlights]]. Also [[Riptide|RAPETIDE]]. Tau players may also have a tendency towards sadism (or, as of 8th/9th, masochism).
;'''A Solid Reason People Don't Play Tau'''
They're fucking expensive. Seriously. On a points-per-pound level, they cost more than any other (plastic) army (we haven't even mentioned the financial aspect). This is doubly true if you like battlesuits, but of course you do because you're playing Tau.
;'''A Solid Reason People Do Play Tau Despite that Solid Reason Why They Wouldn't'''
Tau armies are one of the easier choices to paint. They're not quite on the level of the Custodes, but the generally "clean" appearance of Tau miniatures means it's not difficult to make their minis look good with novice painting skills.

==TL;DR==
<s>The good guys</S>
High-tech, Mech-loving alien race who are the ''least'' [[grimdark]] of factions (or used to be at least). Can't melee for shit but can blow you back to the stone age with ranged weaponry if you have the misfortune of being downrange. You will either love them or hate them because of all this, and many neckbeards do feel the [[butthurt]]. For some reason Tau females are [[/d/|awkwardly sexualized]] by a non-insignificant minority of fa/tg/uys, which has shown up in some draw- and writefaggotry. As the saying goes: "You can't spell TAUNT without TAU."

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
Unlike most other factions in 40k, the Tau have no clear analogue from [[Warhammer Fantasy]] throughout its tabletop lifespan, or [[Age of Sigmar]] as of the present. One could argue that [[Cathay]] in [[Total War: Warhammer]] is the closest analogue the Tau will get, especially the whole being united under a powerful group of strange individuals worshiped as demigods and the Asian influence. Since elements of Total War's Cathay will be back-ported into [[Warhammer: The Old World]], this might change. [[Nippon]] would be a better fit, but whether they'll ever see the light of Total War is up to Creative Assembly and GeeDubs.

[[Gav Thorpe]] has [https://gavthorpe.co.uk/2017/06/26/the-origins-of-the-tau/ stated] that he was inspired by the Eldar article in ''White Dwarf 127'' to invent a new species called the Shishell (or more specifically the Shissellian League) and they were "[[Lizardmen]] In Space" with a society based around five castes – Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and a fifth called Spirit. Fast forward to 1999/2000 and GW was preparing to create a new army for Warhammer 40000. They decided to quietly dismiss the Shishell concept (because, like the [[Squats]], who were largely dismissed, and the [[Hrud]], who were retconned appearance-wise, they didn't want the game to be "Warhammer Fantasy in space") and then borrow the caste/element system to use as a foundation stone for the Tau's lore (who were originally called the Tao at that point in time).

In closing, the Tau's closest counterpart(s) in Fantasy right now are Cathay in terms of aesthetics, and the Lizardmen in terms of military/social structure, a bizarre hybrid of elements that came before and after the Tau were introduced to 40k.

==Trivia==
[[File:Tau Ripoff.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|FOR THE [[Blood Ravens|GREATER THEFT]]!]]
* Some have said that Tau resemble the protagonist KYNE from the Amiga video game Brataccas, which was released in 1986. Tau were first added to Warhammer 40k in late 2001. Some would dismiss this as coincidence, but Games Workshop has a long history of ripping off designs from other games; [[Beastmen]] are [[Broo]] from [[Glorantha]], very large chunks of 40k are a little too similar to [[Judge Dredd]], and all of the Greater Daemon model designs are stolen from early [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. These properties are understandable as Games Workshop was still selling games of those IPs when Warhammer was first created, but Brataccas is an obscure game from a forgotten system that was quite forgettable even at release, even if Amiga games tended to get fantastic cover art. This being said another of GW's early products was also puzzles of of this style of '70's/'80's Sci-Fi art. The Tau cast system does resemble the Protoss caste from [[Starcraft]], which predates the release of the Tau by 3 years... You have the Templar (Fire/Air Castes) Judicators (Ethereals + Water Castes) and Khalai (Earth Caste). In addition to a rogue sub-caste in the Dark Templar (Farsight Enclaves). This is Ironic considering that GW originally was making a deal with Blizzard to make games based on their properties. GW asked too much/Blizzard didn't like the terms and left... to make Warcraft and Starcraft. Starcraft would have become a Rogue Trader RTS. It was probably a mistake on GW's part, as they REALLY missed out. Stealing the Tau from the Protoss was probably done because GW was still salty. Alternatively, Protoss were always intended to be Eldar in the 40K interpretation of Starcraft and any similarities to the Tau are coincidental. Which is then funnier when you realise the Protoss are based on the Eldar that the Eldar are ripped off of Tolkien and that the Eldar supposedly helped push/create Tau society.
* Tau are technically canon to the Marvel Comics universe, as the series Venom: Space Knight repeatedly used Tau vehicles for aliens in the scenery. In fact, they have the balls to even keep the Tau Sept symbol! Also, you can see what appears to be a Eldar tank, as well as a Necron. The irony of the ripoff masters Games Workshop getting ripped off is juicy, even more so when its realized that lawsuit-happy Games Workshop (who literally tried to copyright "pauldrons" while they plagiarized Eldar from Tolkien and had prior contention between [[Malekith|two very similar Dark Elf characters of theirs who even shared the same name]]) couldn't do shit about it because Marvel is owned by Disney, and nobody beats The Mouse™.
** GW and Marvel/Disney settled out of court. A bit sad, a true battle between Daredevil and She-Hulk versus the Ordo Legalitus would have been cool. Interestingly this deal ended with GW and Marvel publishing several 40k comics, starting with a [[Marneus Calgar]] comic in 2020 and a [[Sisters of Battle]] comic in 2021, so the Tau might be canon again after all...

==Notable Tau==
===[[Canon]]===
*[[Aun'Va]]
*[[Aun'Shi]]
*[[El'Myamoto (Sub-commander Darkstrider)]]
*[[Shadowsun|O'Shaserra (Commander Shadowsun)]]
*[[Farsight|O'Shovah (Commander Farsight) and The Eight]]
*[[Commander Puretide]]
*[[Shas'o Kais]]
*[[Commander Or'es'Ka|Shas'o Or'es'Ka]]

===[[/tg/ 40,000]]===
*[[Blue]]
*[[Faptau]]
*[[O'ren I'shi'ii]]
*[[Shlicktau]]
*[[Xeno]]

==See Also==
[[File:Marvel Tau.jpg|thumb|right|250px|FOR THE GREATER GROOT!]]
* [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Tau (9E)|Tau Tactics (9e)]]
* [[Nicassar]]
* [[Sept V'iet]]
* [[Tau Quest]]
* [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]]
* [[Tau Dark Heresy]]
* [[Tau Cadre Creation Tables]]
* [[Codex_-_Tau_Auxiliary]]
* [[Tau Diplomacy]]
* [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|<strike>Love Can Bloom 3:Golden Shadowsun</strike> NON-CANON FANFICTION GARBAGE]]

==External Link==
Tau Lexicon: *[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eaLKLz0jdBTk24QSJrc5GSjNZzPzUZF9/view?usp=sharing]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrHhS5IkRR0 A Typical Tau-Human conversation.]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbuPaCgdO50 Should one of your Tau actually kill anything tougher than a guardsman in melee, you are allowed to end the game in victory as long as you play this clip.]
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhXCQFxGqMM Theme of the T'au Empire. Admittedly, its actually pretty amazing, all things considered.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:Tau1.jpg|Stealth suits are :3
Image:Firewarrior.gif|Fire Warriors are :3 too
Image:Tau Chibi Fire Warrior.jpg|Chibi, but not weeby.
File:TauGuela.jpg|Gue'la.
Image:TauOrigin.jpg|Ohhh GW.
Image:Tau.gif|In 40k, everyones' guns are huge.
Image:Tau Fire Warrior.jpg|A Tau Fire Warrior, the basic infantry unit.
Image:Tau Firepower Demotivator.jpg|The sad truth of 6th edition.
Image:combine.jpg|In /tg/, tau are the bad guys.
Image:Itsyourempiretoo.png|Propaganda. [[Nazi|Sound]] [[Communism|familiar?]]
Image:Never shall the tau!.JPG|Surrender... never shall the Tau.
Image:Tauassault.jpg|Tau are vicious melee fighters, no less able than [[Space Marines]]!
Image:1234622525817.jpg|In hindsight, attempting negotiations with Orks was probably a bad idea.
Image:Tau Problem, Astartes.jpg|What's that? We're not grimdark enough for you, Neckbeard?
Image:Tau Sympathizer.jpg|The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer's entry on Tau players.
Image:Discotau.jpg|For the Greater Groove!
Image:DiscoTauGroovin.jpg|I’m ready go tonight, There's a party, alright, We don’t need the reason for joy oh yeah~
Image:Manta.jpg|Fun fact: if you have enough money to buy this, you have too much money.
Image:Tau cosplay2.jpg|Typical Tau player, engaging in typical Tau behavior. (Pretty badass cosplay, even got the hoof right)
Image:Tau Battlesuit vs Smurf.jpg|This Char Custom Battlesuit-clad Tau demonstrates his mastery of [[Weeaboo Fightan Magic]]. Also DYNAMIC ENTRY!
Image:E6abddad6c5999a1dbe6085d8614f051.jpg|Tau in close quarters combat barring some very lucky dice rolls.
Image:Autaku.jpg|''[[Weeb|Autaku]]''
</gallery></center>
{{Promotions}}
<center><gallery>
Image:TauKroot.jpg
Image:MARKERLIGHTS.png|MARKERLIGHTS!
Image:tau_firecleavage.jpg|Sweet [[Weeaboo|weeaboo]] [[Heresy|heresy]].
Image:Commissar Shadowsuns Goods by morganagod.jpg|DAT ASS.
Image:DAT_SHAS.jpg| A Fire Warrior appreciating DAT ASS.
Image:Tau ass.gif|A Greater Good we can all believe in.
Image:NOT FUCKING CANON.png| [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|THIS IS NOT FUCKING CANON!]]
Image:JoinTau.jpg|Some recruitment methodologies work better than others.
Image:Tau Chick.jpg|Few rarely seen Tau chicks. Maybe because Sisters are hotter.
Image:youtastefunny.jpg|Yeah, we all know the truth about their "greater good".
Image:Subcommander torchstar by sexual yeti-d9qal0l.png|Subcommander Torchstar, Farsight's personal fangirl.
Image:Tau_caste_nudes.jpg|Earth, Fire, Water, Air...Ethereal?!? SWEET MOTHER OF KHORNE!!! MY EYES!!!
Image:Laughing tau whores.jpg|S-shut up you filthy sluts! Among my people it is considered quite a handsome dick!
Image:Power Shopping.jpg|It's a well-known fact that the Tau Empire has some of the best shopping in the entire galaxy.
Image:Taugirlpile.jpg|Here we see Tau propaganda meant to entice men with their terrible, blasphemous, and supple soft skin, smooth curves, perky brea...er...ah...heretical alien bodies.
Image:TauHuman.jpg|Indeed, many humans have already embraced the Greater Good. (The individual with the primitive flashlight has been sent to re-education. Happiness is mandatory, Citizen.)
Image:greatertits.jpg|An attractive human female defector who for some reason has been equipped with a highly modified commander's battlesuit, perhaps as a devious ploy to compel desertion by the less loyal.
Image:ThicTau'Thereal.png|After this ethereal took charge, there was an upsurge in gue'vesa citizenship requests. Water caste psychoanalysts are currently studying this phenomenon in detail.
</gallery></center>

==Navigation==
{{Tau}}
{{Tau-Characters}}
{{WH40k-Factions}}
{{40k-Governments}}
{{Template:Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category: Xenos]]

Slaugth

2022-06-06T07:10:26Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Possible Crusade-Era Connection */

[[Image:Slaugthfacialrape1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Sssshhhhhh.....its all <s>ogre</s> maggots now....'']]

Remember when you first started playing 40K and thought it was all [[Volkite|sunshine]] and [[Dark Eldar|rainbows]]? Sure, [[Tyranid|tyranids]] are pretty scary, and their [[Genestealer|Genestealer]] [[Genestealer Hybrids|cult babies]] are works of art that would make [[H.P. Lovecraft]] blush. The Warp is literal nightmare fuel, you say, but the warp is just full of [[Bloodletter|people who were neglected by their parents,]] [[Lord of Change|Polly after cutting crackers out of his diet,]] [[Flesh Hound|grumpy puppies,]] [[Daemonette|naked ladies,]] and [[Plaguebearer|The Chinese.]] But that just wasn't enough. And then [[Alan Bligh|a certain fluff writer]] favored us with these things...

Like a fever nightmare that crawled out of the dreams of someone who has PTSD from when they had jiggers on them (Don't look them up please dear god! Unless you happen to have a stomach of fuckin' ''adamantium''). The '''Slaugth''' are a literal [[Worm That Walks|swarm of maggots]] that eat dead bodies (Guess how they get the bodies dead in the first place) although their favorite part of the body to chew on are '''[[Zombie|the brains.]]''' When the Slaugth do eat brains they actually absorb its information and memories to find new places to inhabit and new victims to devour. [[Slaanesh|It's also heavily implied that they get high off of this.]]

==Overview==
The Slaugth are aliens that look like three-meter-tall swarms of maggots, dripping with necrotic mucus. Their nature means that they can stretch and reform their bodies at will, and move with an "obscene, boneless fluidity". They can also regenerate very quickly from all but the most catastrophic injuries. When they want to pass among humans, they put on shroud robes and use masks to hide their [[NSFW|'beautiful faces'.]] Because of their nature, they tend to stay on the [[Ghoul Stars|fringes of known space]] or lurk in obscure places, such as deep within the lowest parts of hive worlds or your mom's basement, popping out long enough to OM-NOM some unfortunate humans before slithering back off into the darkness (by the way, when's the last time you talked to your mother?). They've apparently been around for a really long time, but they're so damn good at staying hidden that no one knows how old they actually are, what their ultimate goal is, or even the location of their homeworld. (Some of the RPG fluff seems to imply that the [[Inquisition]] has standing orders to [[Skaven|shoot anyone who runs into a Slaugth]], which wouldn't help matters any.) They also like to give their weird-ass tech to greedy rogue traders and planetary governors as a way to cause [[troll|political]] [[/pol/|disarray]] and to soften up the local [[Imperial Guard]] and [[Planetary Defense Force|PDF]] so they can go to town on the local populace without anyone noticing.

They seem to dislike getting their proverbial hands dirty, eschewing open warfare in favor of stealth, manipulation, and the use of proxies. Their main agents within the Calixis Sector are the Amaranthine Syndicate, a subverted trade cartel that they use as a front for smuggling xenotech and instigating trade wars as well as far more malicious operations.

===The Amaranthine Syndicate===
The Syndicate starts their work by identifying someone in such dire straits that they'll accept help from anyone to get out of their current trouble, then appearing to that person with what looks to be a very generous deal. However, even as they alleviate the original problem the Syndicate works to make their "friend" increasingly dependent on the Syndicate's aid- their enemies are set against them, other forms of help become suddenly unavailable, and "accidents" occur with unusual frequency. When the subject is so heavily indebted to the Syndicate that they have no way out, they are taken to meet one of the "Principals" so the subject can better understand the bargain he's been forced into...and the consequences of trying to back out of the deal.

The Slaugth's demands are trivial or even nonsensical at first. They might ask for a book in a private library to be burned, or a commodity's price to be raised ever so slightly, or to reassign seemingly random personnel. It doesn't take long for their demands to escalate, however, and before long the subject will be ordered to taint medical supplies at their source, redirect relief shipments away from planets in need, or outright betray colonists to Slaugth raiders. Should they refuse, the Slaugth will eat them instead and find another desperate fool to take their place.

==Status==
Nowadays the Slaugth and their fans are praying to [[H.P. Lovecraft|Yog Sothoth]] that they get their own codex, but the Slaugth, along with other minor races such as the [[Rak'gol]] and the Enoulians were the brain-children (pun intended) of [[Fantasy Flight Games]], and haven't really seen mainstream attention in rulebooks. Not to mention the whole [[Worm That Walks]] thing is a long established horror trope that has been used in [[Dungeons & Dragons|other RPGs]] before. Chances are that it will only happen when Games Workshop truly runs out of <s>ideas</s> money.

However, the Slaugth (and Rak'Gol) do get a mention in [[Necromunda]] in the Book of Judgement, along with their weapons being available as black market wargear. So perhaps there is a slim chance for them to make an appearance on the tabletop after all. That being said, their fluff firmly establishes that they prefer infiltration and subterfuge over direct conflict to achieve their goals so they might not be a particularly good fit for having a full army anyway.

===Possible Crusade-Era Connection===
The Slaugth are alluded to several times across the '''Horus Heresy''' series, which makes sense considering that Forgeworld fluff guru '''Alan Bligh''' (Emperor rest his soul) was one of the lead writers of [[Dark Heresy]], so might be indirectly using his big bad worm monsters as the terrible boogeymen from the galactic north and east that are only spoken of in whispers.

In one of the [[Forge World]] books, a [[World Eaters|War Hounds]] character, prior to [[Angron]]'s return to the legion was critically injured by the "Slaugth Murder-Minds" at '''Rangda''', which connects the Slaugth to the '''[[Rangdan Xenocides]]''' fought by the [[Space Wolves]] and [[Dark Angels]], and possibly where one of the two unknown legions was destroyed.

In the short story ''Living Relics'', the [[Consecrators]] Chapter find one of these aboard a First Legion warship sent to battle them as part of a larger fleet, albeit one lost and found deep beyond the Eastern Fringe, far from the Rangdan strongholds in the galaxy's northwest.

They are also mentioned as the discoverers and keepers of a young [[Alpharius]] in one of his spurious origin stories, but This Account Is A Lie (but may have contained grains of truth). As the Slaugth are known to be master infiltrators and frequently use humans to spy on their behalf, this raises some disturbing questions as to how he learned his infiltration skills and what the Slaugth planned to do with him.

The Rangda were described as being so powerful they nearly killed the Imperium stone dead even with the Emperor alive and kicking at the helm (Something no other foe has ever been able to do), and the Emperor was forced to unleash the [[Void Dragon|Labyrinth of Night]] to defeat them. However, in the book ''Alpharius: Head of the Hydra'' it is made quite clear that the Slaugth and the Rangda are two separate forces, they had entirely different void ships and modes of war: The Rangda's viciousness was compared to Orks, while the maggot-men of the Slaugth repulsed the Primarch on a very fundamental level.
If Alpharius is to be believed (read: he's not), they operated in the same warzones so it is possible that the Slaugth and Rangda were close allies or related in some other way. Alpharius wonders if the Slaugth merely followed in the wake of the Rangdan destruction like vultures, or had driven them from worlds that they had claimed, or were able to direct Rangda towards the rich feeding grounds.

However, the FFG games also establish quite clearly that the Slaugth, for a couple of reasons, simply do not have the numbers to assault the Imperium head-on. And this is one Sector we're talking about. As much as the fans want to see Slaugth versus Custodes action, it is not going to happen.

==Technology==

Despite their appearance, the Slaugth are a highly advanced race and possess technology on par with even the [[Necron|Necrons.]] Their specialty is [[Tyranid|biomechanical technology]], aka technology with organic parts, so instead of training troops they essentially farm them and then stick them full of robotic parts if they didn't have them from the get-go. They may or may not have zombie minions as most of their bio-mechanical constructs are usually constructed from the remains of others.

One of the constructs they have is called a '''Harvester Construct''', which is a floating ball of flesh with a robotic arm that goes around and decapitates people and preserves their heads so the Slaugth can eat the brains later. Whoever comes up with these bizarre ideas must have been smoking some strong ass [[Drug|drugs.]] Better yet whose [[What|brains were the Slaugth smoking?]]

The second one we know about is called a '''Warrior Construct'''. which unlike the others has a shape and have an [[NSFW|uncanny resemblance to human genitals.]] On the other hand, the Warrior Construct also looks like sea anemones with legs and teeth as the description given to them are, "''These pale, oval masses of fungal flesh are filled with purple veins and metal lattices.''" They also have necrotic beamers and have bone blades coming out of their tendrils. So in other words it's a [[FATAL|biomechanical attack penis]] which is the Slaugth's amalgamation containing all of [[4chan]]. Or they just found H.R. Giger's [[/d/|art collection]]

Their clothing of choice and pseudo-armor are called '''Shroud Cloaks'''. These ragged, tattered robes absorb and refract light and seem to move as if they were alive, making them look like misshapen humans in the distance. They also have '''Shroud Armor''', which is a different tier of shroud tech which actually clouds the perception of anyone observing the Slaugth wearing it, effectively making them invisible.

For weapons the Slaugth possess "'''Necrotic weaponry'''", which appear in a variety of forms. They have Necrotic Scepters, which can be used as a melee or ranged weapon. The warrior constructs mentioned above have a Necrotic Beamer that can can turn organic targets into dust in seconds, and high-ranked Slaugth get a Necrotic Lance that can blow up main battle tanks.

{{Template:Important Species in 40k}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Xenos]][[Category:Minor Xenos Species]]

Void Wardens

2022-04-27T21:56:28Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Aspirant Trials */

[[Category:Custom Chapters]]
{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = Void Wardens
|Heraldry = [[Image:Twilight Sage Symbol.png|center|140px]]
|Battle Cry = We are the sword from the shadows!
|Number =
|Founding = M37 (23rd Founding)
|Successors of = Presumably [[Blood Angels]]
|Successor Chapters = None
|Chapter Master = Sadow Kynex
|Primarch = Unknown
|Homeworld = Fleet Based
|Specialty = Shock and Awe tactics
|Strength = 950
|Allegiance = [[Imperium]]
|Colours = Red, Black, and Silver.
}}
[[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]][[category:warhammer 40,000]]

Warning: This page contains large amounts of [[Skub|hate-wank]] of both the [[Eldar]] and this chapter. Only the latter of which has any explanation whatsoever.

==Summary==

===Aspirant Trials===
The Void Wardens’ methods for initiation start with the acquisition of suitable candidates. Usually a group of 10-30 aspirants are selected at one time. The aspirants are then taken aboard the Void Warden's flagship and placed within an arena. The aspirants are allowed to select between a small selection of weapons, mostly long knives or short swords. The Aspirants are then set against wave after wave captured beasts, prisoners taken from other ships within their fleet or captured in war, and sometimes even xenos species including [[Tau]], [[Kroot]], or even the occasional [[Eldar]]. The trial usually lasts until there are 1-3 combatants left standing, though if the chapter is in need of new recruits the numbers might fluctuate. The survivors of this trial are taken to begin their journey as space marines.

It is at this point that the newly altered aspirants of the Void Wardens of undergo screening for any psychic potential. Any of the aspirants found to have psychic potential are sequestered from their brothers and trained to withstand and channel the warp. Alongside their normal training regiment they are also trained in mental and spiritual techniques to strengthen their mind and resolve against the corrupting influence of the [[Chaos|ruinous powers]]. Somehow.

The final trial of an initiate before the inclusion of the black carapace involves a trial by combat. The initiates, whom had previously been serving in scout squads, are given [[Chainsword|chainswords]] and bolt pistols and ushered into combat. The initiates' goal is to collect the most impressive trophy by besting their foe in close quarters combat. If the initiate survives a few battles or slays an especially noteworthy opponent then they are finally given the black carapace and inducted into the chapter as a battle brother.

===Fleet===
The Void Wardens are a fleet based chapter. Their flagship is the Silvanet, a Gloriana Class Battleship. The Silvanet was gifted to the chapter by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] for the void warden's recovery of a large cache of archeotech. The Silvanet is the flagship of the Void Wardens and where the chapter keeps their stores of trophies, technology, and relics from past glories. The massive ship serves as a reminder to the chapter of the rewards that duty and sacrifice can reap. The ancient Gloriana Class Battleship can easily hold the entire chapter because of its massive size, however when the chapter needs to split its forces it employs a number of Vanguard Strike Cruisers to deploy in multiple areas. The Vanguard Strike Cruisers allow the Void Wardens to stay afield much longer than their brothers using the standard Strike Cruisers. The Void Wardens also employ a number of Gladius Frigates as escorts. The total amount of ships within the fleet of the Void Wardens are as follows:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! '''Name''' !! '''Class'''
|-
| Silvanet || Gloriana Class Battleship
|-
| Golden Dawn || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Hallowed Spirit || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Sanctified Wrath || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Resurgence of Hope || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Talent of Aegis || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Purity of Intent || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Reliance || Vanguard Cruiser
|-
| Song of Fire || Nova Frigate
|-
| Immaculate || Nova Frigate
|-
| Erudite Shadow || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Lasting Praise || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Tale of Woe || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Void's Breath || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Shrouded Blade || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Desolate Age || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Litany of Doom || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Herald of Blood || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Divinity || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Scion of Light || Gladius Frigate
|-
| Brilliance of Sali|| Gladius Frigate
|-
| Glory of Ages|| Gladius Frigate
|}

==Chapter Appearance==
===Equipment===
The Void Wardens most commonly use either the traditional Mark VII or the Mark IV Power armor sets. Veterans of the Void Wardens often use Mark VIII "Errant Armor." The Space Marines of the Void Wardens most commonly use the Neria pattern boltgun. The Neria pattern is distinctive because of it's slightly longer barrel optimized for mid to short range combat and an optional bayonet attachment is often included on the bolter's design. The chapter also utilizes Stalker pattern bolters to strike form a longer range or preform assassinations against enemy commanders that have been deemed as too well defended to attempt an assault against.

The Void Wardens commonly use rhinos, predator tanks, land raiders, and Storm Talons to supplement their forces in combat. Bikes and lander speeders are often eschewed by the chapter in favor of vehicles that offer more protection for their crews and passengers.

===Chapter Colors===
The Void Wardens use deep scarlet colored armor with slightly brighter trim around the edges. The chapter also prevalently features black inserts along the left pauldrons and silver on top of their backpack. The veterans of the chapter commonly wear black helmets to signify their upgraded status.

==Culture==

===Autuc Cult===
The chapter cult of the Void Wardens traces its origins back to a small feudal world within the Segmentum Obscurus. Their doctrine centers around embracing your personal power and doing what you can to perfect yourself. This translates well to the life of the astartes of the Void Wardens. This firm focus on self-betterment has driven the marines to be be fiercely competitive with other chapters and their glories. The followers of the Autuc Cult view the emperor as the pinnacle of humanity. The [[Ecclesiarchy]] has recognized the Autuc Cult as a non-heretical faith, mostly due to the allowance of space marine cults within the Imperium. Users of psychic power within the cult are often praised for their "gifts" and seen as an improvement beyond the base human. Although this raised some eyebrows form their more wary brother chapters it has yet to be brought up as a point of contention.

===View On Humanity and Xenos===
The Void Wardens have a distinct view on humanity. Although they find humans to be inferior to themselves they still attempt to defend citizens of the Imperium. Many of the Void Wardens believe humans to be similar to wayward children, wandering into trouble all the time because they do not understand how the universe works yet. They see the Adaptus Astartes as the first and best hope for humanity to survive against the legions of their enemies.

The Void Wardens view xenos species as a mixed bag. Although they admire the destructive capabilities of the various xenos races' weapons they disdain the species which wields them. The Void Wardens have a particular enmity for the [[Eldar]]. The Void Wardens have had multiple fights with the Eldar warriors and have grown to hate them with a fervor. In the few cases that an Eldar warrior is taken alive from the field of battle the Void Wardens often return the unlucky Xenos to their flagship where they are imprisoned and subjected to as much pain as their bodies can take before they are executed and their [[Spirit stone]] taken from the corpse after it has successfully trapped the Eldar's soul. [[Slaanesh|Slaanesh]] [[Chaos Space Marines|approves.]] The enmity between the void wardens and Eldar stems primarily from the Void Warden's invasion and successful take-over of an Eldar Exodite world. Wow, what fucking dicks. Sure, taking over an Exodite world is an accomplishment, but it's also a massive waste of time that could be better spent on taking back or defending worlds under the threat of [[Chaos]], the [[Orks|Green Tide]], or the [[Tyranids]] and/or their [[Genestealers|Genestealer Cults]]. [[Exodites]] don't leave their worlds, they only defend. Their rather specific and spiteful hatred for the Eldar and love for torturing those they hate seems to indicate a potential Slaaneshi taint.

===Ediona===
The Ediona are small creatures native to Neria. They usually come to the size of a small child and have comparable intelligence. Librarians of the Void Wardens use them as familiars because of their moderate intelligence and mostly humanoid shape. The Silvanet has large warrens of the animals staying within their walls and are commonly trained to assist the space marines and serfs with their tasks. The typical Ediona appears around 2-3 feet tall and ranges from pallid to deep purple in color. They often have horns or thick tendrils covering their heads and wear robes.

===Trophies===
The Void Wardens after being victorious on the field of battle commonly take the heads of those that they killed. The marines sometimes mouth the heads upon trophy racks on their armor, displaying them as grisly testaments to their prowess. The heads are also kept within their flagship in the Hall of Glory, a large room littered with trophies and testaments to the chapter's strength as well as serving as a reliquary for artifacts. The most common heads taken are that of the Eldar.

===Downtime===
During time in which a marine from the Void Wardens are not engaged in combat the marines preform a variety of tasks. Most often the marines are either training, reading through the history of the chapter, or sitting in quiet meditation. However many marines also practice art like painting, sculpting, forge craft, and other pursuits. They believe that such acts hone the mind and the soul to round out their attributes. The Void Wardens also take part in large feasts. The feast commonly has many courses of food ranging from thick stews to sweetened breads along with a strong herbal tea. More often than not the feasts are open to all crew and serfs who wish to join in the celebrations. The marines and other participants occasionally engage in displays of valor, strength or skill but never mixing their two numbers within the same competition.

===Inquisitorial Interaction===
The Void Wardens have encountered the [[Inquisition]] on multiple occasions. They often assist radical inquisitors with their research and missions, leading to the more puritan factions in the inquisition looking upon the Void Wardens with suspicion. Throughout the history of the Void Wardens they have been called into service from nearly every ordo but the most common ordo for them to assist is the [[Witch Hunters|Ordo Hereticus]] in their fight against heretics, witches, and other rogue elements of the Imperium. Seeing as they like to torture captured Eldar for no other reason other than incredibly petty spite, these Puritans might be [[Heresy|onto something.]]

==Rituals==
The Void Wardens are known for their lavish feasts and festivals in honor of various heroes, memorable battles and other feats of glory. When not embroiled in conflict the marines take time to meditate and practice artistry in order to hone their mind to the same level as their bodies.

===Feast of Ascension===
After the final test is completed for aspirants a great feast is held in their honor usually a week or two after the trial. The aspirants are each ushered in front of their new brothers and lauded for their abilities and welcomed into the fold as new initiates. The feast usually consists of a four course meal with elders telling stories as the battle brother eat. At the conclusion of the meal the aspirants are once again led up before the chapter where they take a knee in front of the chapter master, flanked by two chaplains of the order. The new initiates each recite the oath of allegiance and brotherhood to the Void Wardens. After the final oath is taken the initiates stand before the chapter and lead them in the shouting of the chapter's motto: "We are the sword from the shadows!"

===Purge of Spirits===
The Librarians of the Void Wardens annually convene together to collectively purge themselves of any trace of the warp by engaging an a three day long ritual of meditation, recitation of sacred oaths, fasting, and ritual bloodletting. Upon it's completion three chaplains must enter and pour water that was taken from the "Blessed Font," a fountain located within the Silvanet, upon the foreheads and palms of each participant. After the anointment is completed the Librarians are deemed pure and may return to their duties.

==Notable Campaigns==

===Atrocian Campaign: 799.M37- 822.M37===
This is first recorded campaign that the Void Wardens were involved in. The Void Wardens were deployed on the feudal world Addax in the Atrocian Sector to help combat an [[Eldar]] strike force emerging from a webway gate on the planet. Unbeknownst to the marines Addax was an unclaimed Eldar maiden world that the Eldar have recently returned to. The marines, upon landing, engaged in a grueling 23 year long war of attrition against the Eldar forces. The war concluded in an imperial victory after the webway gate that was being employed was destroyed, forcing the remaining Eldar to engage in a last stand against the marines that ended with the extermination of the stranded Eldar forces under the combined fire from both the Space Marines and the remaining Planetary Defense Forces.

===Odex Station Conflict: 159.M38===
This was a short and brutal conflict that took place in the large battle station, Odex. The Void Warden's fleet docked with the station to refuel and resupply while a low level heretical incursion was taking place. The incursion soon blossomed into a full rebellion. Inquisitorial representatives from the Ordos Hereticus led the Void Wardens into the station on a three month long purge of all tainted elements. It was a there that the Void Wardens had their first encounters with radical inquisitors and the idea that chaos can be used to fight against chaos. Although the conflict could barely be considered a skirmish for the astartes this encounter has changed the founding doctrine of the chapter and have influenced select librarians withing the Void Wardens to begin looking into the malefic lore that the warp holds.

==Controversy==

===Geneseed===
The Void Wardens' geneseed is considered to be flawed. The Void Wardens eye color often changes to black, blue, or purple after the implantation of the augments. Space marines of the Void Wardens also display hardened claw-like growths upon their fingers. Veteran Space Marines of the Void Wardens also have shown a propensity towards collecting the heads of defeated foes.

===Founding Chapter===
The founding chapter of the Void Wardens has been a subject of debate within the administratum. The most likely founders would seem to be [[Blood Angels]]. The chapter's colors and amount of assault squads point them towards the Blood Angels being their primary founder. Their slightly mutated geneseed also points towards the Blood Angels because of the higher instability found within that geneseed. However their noted lack of the [[Red Thirst]] and [[Black Rage]] suggests that they are instead taken from the stock of a different founding legion.

===Librarians===
A select few of the [[Librarian|librarians]] of the Void Wardens have gathered into a small inner circle called the Luxuria Infernatus. This circle deals specifically with the Malefic branch of Daemonology. The librarians within this group have been known to employ bound daemons and other chaotic beings in order to assist the chapter's service to the emperor. This is a closely guarded secret of the chapter and is also a secret to all but the highest ranks within the chapter and a select few inquisitors who work with them. If their cooperation was ever to be found out the Void Wardens would surely be cast out and labeled traitors, making this the most damming and closely guarded secret of the entire chapter. Fucking [[Heresy|HERESY!!!]]

===Torture===
While it is unknown as to whether or not the [[Inquisition]] has found out anything about their little [[Rape of an Eldar|torture fetish,]] one can safely wager that they [[Blam|wouldn't be too happy at the blatant act of]] [[Slaanesh|spiteful cruelty and hateful excess.]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:VWM.png|Void Warden [[Power Armor]].
File:VWMV.jpg|Void Warden veteran.
File:VWT.jpg|Void Warden Terminator Armor.
</gallery>

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

2022-01-03T04:41:52Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Necron Characters */ spacing fix

{{Wh40k-stub}}
[[File:40kMechanicusGameLogo.jpg|center|500px]]
'''Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus''' is a turn-based strategy game about the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] finding a [[Necron]] [[Tomb World]] and trying to ensure that shit doesn't hit the fan too hard. The story for the game was written by [[Ben Counter]] and it's one of the few good 40k video games alongside the likes of DOW and Battlefleet since GW started handing the licences out to everyone who asks. It also contains one of the single most atmospheric and amazing intros to a game ever seen. Also, by the Omnisiah, the soundtrack is ''the shit''.

The combat can drag on at times, and your troops and weapons are very rng on what you can get ahold of, but it is ultimately a solid game. Good, compared to catastrophes like Regicide and Prophecy.

It has since received an expansion pack, '''Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus - Heretek'''.
==Setting==
Set some time after the creation of the [[Great Rift]], [[Tech Priest Dominus|Magos Dominus]] Faustinius, the commander of [[Explorator Fleet|Ark Mechanicus]]: Caestus Metalican, discovers an old transmission from the planet of Silva Tenebris sent by a [[magos]], who reports of an intriguing discovery on the planet. As a squad is sent down to the planet, they discover a Necron tomb, and that the magos who sent the message managed to wake them up, [[Fail|with your squad accelerating the process]]. Unable to receive reinforcements due to the [[Warp]] rift, the members and crew of Caestus Metalican must do everything they can to stop the Necrons from completely waking and causing troubles for the [[Imperium]] at large.

The game has three different endings, and each is determined based on whether you [[Exterminatus|burn everything]], [[Adeptus Mechanicus|leave it for Mars to decide]], [[Heresy|or preserve the planet for future study.]]

==Dramatis Personae==
===The Crew of Caestus Metalican===
Aside from the Magos Dominus, the other important characters, and mission givers, are:

*'''Tech-Acquisitor Scaevola'''
**''"Calculating mission: +++Technology +++Artifacts +++Materials. Benefit > Risks. [Request] Mission commencement."''
**Your very mechanical (as in removed her emotions completely and talks like a computer) advisor. Perhaps the most stereotypical of all Techpriests seen so far in any book or game since; her speech patterns are <s>almost like</s> exactly like Linux shell code rather than proper English. She lusts after alien technologies, doesn't care at all about the lives of her underlings, and in the pursuit of her missions it quickly becomes clear she just wants lots of shiny technology and doesn't care about where it comes from or how many [[Skitarii]] have to die to get it. Completing more of her missions will result in the Xenarites flocking to Silva Tenebris in order to study the Necrons, while ordering Exterminatus will result in her scuttling away to whine to her Order. Note that 'Scaevola' is a latin name meaning left-handed - perhaps a clue to her nature.

*'''Lector-Dogmatix Videx'''
**''"And when at last he came upon the vehicle, he perceived the distress of the engine therein and forthwith struck the rune and it was good."'''
**Imagine your highly religious grandfather (or just an old religious person), and you've just about got Videx. The opposite of Scaevola in that his augments enhance his emotions and he is more focused on the priest part of [[Techpriest]]. Acts as the spiritual advisor and is generally quoting one of the over 560,000 books stored in his mind. It's... difficult to say how much his methods work, as broadcasting binary prayers and filling the Necron tombs with incense smoke probably shouldn't do a damn thing-- yet, oddly enough, such methods work much more often than they should. Completing more of his missions will result in him being satisfied along with the more conservative parts of Mars, whilst preserving Silva Tenebris will result in him threatening to file charges of Heresy upon you.

*'''Sub-Domina Khepra'''
**''"I dread to think of the cost. But if it is your wish, Magos, it shall be so."'''
**The leader of the [[Skitarii]] of the expedition. She hates those who would regard them as just mooks to be thrown into the grinder. Her missions involve helping her Skitarii in fighting against the Necrons better. In short, the most understandable and likeable leader, who is not afraid to throw shade to the others.

*'''Quartermaster Rho'''
**The person in charge of your ship and its supplies, and is prone to redundancies in his speech. He gives missions to ensure you've got enough supplies and that your ship can function.

*'''Prime Hermeticon Caprix'''
**''"Sharpen the spears. Bay the hounds. The hunt is on."''
**The one in charge of seeking high priority targets, and giving missions to kill them. Acts like a really weird hunter and speaks in one of the most ridiculous manners ever to be uttered by a [[Skitarii]].

*'''Xenobiologis Tiresus'''
**A novice Magos who has been trained by Faustinius. His missions only appear if you press the spacebar (activating the Noosphere vision) while in the Missions screen. Completing all seven will unlock a secret (and pretty powerful) Canticle to use.

*'''Servo-Skull Reditus'''
**An unusually chatty [[Servo-skull]] who probably drifts a bit close to tech-heresy canonically, but he narrates the intro so we'll let him off. Formerly a Magos Dominus before being shot by Necrons, and may actually ''be'' the former Magos floating around as a skull. May be named after Reddit (and we're not sure how to feel about that), although in Latin (which is the source of most High Gothic), "reditus sum" is the perfect passive of the verb "redeo" (to give back or return), making "reditus" potentially mean "I have been given back".

*'''Subtribune Xerxetes'''
**Only pops up if you have the Heretek DLC. Missions revolve around purging the Xenarites who have infiltrated the Caestus Metalican.

===Cohorts===
Like any Techpriest, you have the option to bring with you various meatheads of varying price (paid in blackstone) to support your Techpriests in battle. Although not as versatile or as powerful as your Priests they have specialized roles that can fill gaps in your squad very effectively.
*'''[[Servitor]]:''' Your initial troops. Cheap and expendable with no armor, five hit points, and a weak melee attack. They cost zero Blackstone, use only one CP to summon and also give CP if they get damaged. Useful as a meat shield the Servitor's only purpose is to tie up other units and die in battle. They are only capable of fighting Scarabs one on one but can swarm lone Necron warriors and do a lot of damage surprisingly quickly. Their first upgrade gives them a short-ranged taunt that also gives them some armour, while the second gives them a bit more health. Both increase their damage by a point, so they can end up remarkably useful even at the end of the game.
*'''Skitarii Vanguard:''' A mid to late game ranged unit that has a ranged attack that does decent physical damage. Although they originally used Arc Rifles an update changed the name to Radium Rifles. Pretty good, considering that they can be leveled up to have two physical damage attacks every three turns. Their second upgrade gives them 2 points more damage. Unlike the Ranger, they do not reveal enemy stats after firing.
*'''Skitarii Vanguard Alpha:''' Despite the name, Vanguard Alphas are just Melee based infantry. Unfortunately the focus on Melee often results in them having to get in close and nasty which, considering they are up against Necrons, is a really bad idea. They use Lightning Mauls which do energy damage and can arc between targets making them powerful against horde enemies like Flayed Ones or Scarabs, but they lack the punch to deal with nastier Necrons. Once upgraded, they can immobilise targets, but that still isn't enough to make them really useful.
*'''Skitarii Ranger:''' An early to mid game unit, these bad boys are your early standard infantry. They have a half decent energy attack (despite using Galvanic Rifles) but reveal enemy stats when they shoot them, and can be leveled up to have an ability that disables an enemy attack for its next turn making them extremely useful support even in late game missions. Just keep in mind that they are fairly fragile with only 9 HP and weak energy shielding. Their second upgrade makes them always crit, making them a reliable source of armour-piercing damage.
*'''Skitarii Ranger Alpha:''' The less sucky version of the Skitarii Vanguard Alpha. Ranger Alphas cause physical damage and are potent crowd control with an AOE attack that does decent damage. Unfortunately again they are rather fragile for dedicated melee units and will die very quickly if sent into the front lines. Once they get leveled up though, they are able to fight in melee far more effectively.
*'''Kataphron Battle Servitor:''' Kinda meh. While they do great area of affect damage, they generally suck bringing down anything better than a flayed one. Combine this with their lack of range that can even damage you if you are not careful, and are too big to fit in some places, along with huge size and deployment cost. They are useful in the Tomb Of Ubjao but that's about it.
*'''Kastelan Robot:''' The big boys! What their flamethrower doesn't kill, their punch will. They can be quite expensive to call upon unless you go for secutor build to drop them (for free) on an unsuspecting necron. They got good defence and can be used as cover (it's not optimal in most case, but still good to know). Overall a great late game troop, but at the stage of the game that you will use them, your techpriests should already be strong enough that they feel kinda overkill. Their upgrades give them a charge that immobilises targets, and a second flamethrower that hits everything in a circle around them. Gloriously excessive, just make sure that you don't set your precious cogboys on fire.
*'''Sicarian Ruststalker:''' A somewhat slow and squishy melee unit that has two main uses inside of combat: its attack pierces all armor, making it potent at dealing with tough units like lychguards that relying on shielding rather than raw hp. The second is that it gains critical hit chance for every attack, (and after upgrades gains 1 damage as well) meaning that the ruststalker can technically scale forever, sometimes doing 20-30 damage with a 60% crit chance in practice. This causes the ruststalker's opportunity attacks to be remarkably deadly, and it can shred though light enemy units for easy buffs. Ruststalkers benefit from the servo-skull buffing their movement since they struggle to close in on ranged combatants before being shot down, so the speed boost helps them close the distance.
*'''Sicarian Infiltrators''': A really odd unit. They start untargetable until they make an attack, and with upgrades can return to cloaked every three turns. An excellent ability for getting your high-damage melee units in stabbing range... except that the infiltrator is only armed with a piddly little physical-damage gun. That 2-health scarab swarm will never know what hit it!

===Necron Characters===
*'''Overlord Szaregon:''' The tyrant of the Silva Tenebris tombs, he talks a big game and is pretty scary, with two turns, teleports and a high-damage scythe. However, his lack of armour means that he'll likely end up realising pretty quickly why you don't fight fully-equipped techpriests while outnumbered.
*'''Vizier Mehlob:''' A big scary looking Necron Cryptek. He's not much of a threat in combat whatsoever, but he drains all cognition every time he has a turn which can delay some of your bigger guns. His boss arena has you marching slowly down a corridor full of energy barriers while he monologues and sends Triarch Praetorians to harass you. Hope you have some refractor fields!
*'''Grand Architect Neftusk:''' This Cryptek sits on a Canoptek body that can't be targeted by melee and mocks you a lot. He's got 30 HP and 13/13 shielding, which supposedly makes a direct attack impossible. He draws power from three generators around the map; each destroyed generator damages him for 10 HP and activates two heavy gauss turrets... Or you can invoke the Litany of the Electromancer so that your next (2, 3, 6) attacks will ignore all armour, then blast his smug ass to pieces with ranged fire.
*'''Ubjao, the Corrupted King:''' The third boss. A Necron Lord infected with the Flayer Virus, he has painted himself in blood, and donned a cloak made from the skin of his victims decorated with bones and skulls. He is completely mad and can no longer tell the difference between dreams and reality. He sits at the top of a spiral monument and sends hordes of Flayers backed up by Deathmarks. Every time you kill a Necron he gains four hit points even beyond his maximum, and worse yet, there is no way to get CP except killing his troops. This makes abilities that grant free CP valuable, and it is wise to swap out CP intensive weapons for more basic gear. Luckily, he has no armor himself meaning that even the most basic of guns and axes can hurt him. Also, Major props if you kill him with a [[Servitor]].
* '''Void Admiral Agrolekh:''' The first Necron character your crew encounters, and the commander of the dynasty's space fleet. Arrogant even for a Necron. Convinced of his own superiority Agrolekh orders the construction of many monuments, statues, and murals dedicated to his glory, only to later demand them dismantled and replaced with even finer statues. He's a [[Necron Lord#Destroyer Lords|Destroyer Lord]] armed with a [[C'tan Phase Weapons#Warscythe|warscythe]]. His Nightmare Shroud makes him shift his formidable defense stat between Physical and Energy every round. Pound on him with the appropriate damage type. Relentlessly. Or- wait until the turn he's at 0 defense vs whatever you stack the hardest, and kick his ass then.
* '''Lord Astronomer Ekropis:''' A Necron lord convinced that he can read the future in the stars, but his star charts are either massively out of date, completely fabricated, or are plans for how the stars should be. He also likes to toy with you and mock you, and first introduces you to a new type of Necron capable of teleporting itself in the place of any other Necron (including Ekropis) making it difficult to pin down your intended target. Very annoying and very obnoxious, Ekropis' death comes quickly enough as he is not as powerful as he thinks he is, as is only fitting for such a delusional mind.

===Necron Units===
*'''Warriors:''' The first enemy you will encounter. <s>They can't melee attack</s> Since the release they have been updated and now are capable of doing opportunity melee attacks. [[Derp|They do 1 physical damage.]] They're relatively slow. Can spawn with both physical and energy armour, but usually don't have much of either. Kill them like you'd kill any Necron: focus your fire and keep shooting/chopping until they're gone, not just dead. They will always attempt to walk out of melee range on their turn, so if you can get up close then you'll get a free opportunity attack.
*'''Flayers:''' The basic melee enemy. Will rush towards you to hack at your troops. They have very low health and don't spawn with any armour. They will always run toward the last unit that attacked or killed a necron, so you can lead them into opportunity attacks fairly easily. Bring a flamer if you're hitting the Tomb of Ubjao and wipe them all out.
*'''Immortals:''' An improved ranged enemy. His Gauss Blaster or [[Tesla#Tesla Carbine|tesla carbine]] punishes you hard as it can do a fuckton of dmg to a single target or an area blast that also slows. They have decent health and usually spawn with at least 2 points of energy or physical armour. Treat them like you'd treat warriors: focus fire, and get up into melee for tasty attacks of opportunity.
*'''Deathmarks:''' A sniper unit, they can phase shift around the map (ignoring opportunity attacks) and do so automatically when they get hit, they also get overwatch, which means they shoot units that move in their firing arc. High priority target, as they've got low health and essentially two attacks per turn.
*'''Triarch Praetorians:''' One of the first actually dangerous enemies, that can take a low level techpriest in a 1v1. They use jetpacks to move around the map super fast, and have quite strong melee attacks. They also have a little shitty beam ranged attack you'll be glad to see them use. They usually spawn with both kinds of armour. Later on you'll start seeing Triarch Praetorians with voidblades instead. These ... are exactly the same.
*'''Lychguard:''' One of the strongest enemies you can face. The Lychguards are a melee enemy that have a bunch of HP and a crap load of armour, usually at least two of each type. They have a nasty ability called "Counter-attack", which does exactly what you think. If you attack them, they'll walk towards you and take a swipe. Remember that they can and will take attacks of opportunity: if you shoot one with a pistol from anything but maximum range they'll walk up, attack, then attack again when you back off. To make matters worse they'll go into a rage mode when at half health or below, doubling their offensive damage. Finally, their counterattack does not stop if their attack is disabled by something like a Ranger, so don't bother trying. Single them out and kill them with high-power ranged weapons or armor-breaking axe hits. Or, abuse the fact they walk towards whoever shot them to parade them past your melee and opportunity attack equipped magi and cohorts.
*'''Vargard:''' Annoying bastards. They carry war scythes and teleport themselves to swap places with other nearby Necrons. This trick is not exclusive to a certain cowardly Necron Lord. Frequently has significant armor of just one type. No special defenses on these guys; kill them with whatever's at hand.
*'''Crypteks:''' A necron support unit. They dont do much on their own, having only a weak melee attack, but they can heal fellow necrons, give them armour and steal your cognition. The most powerful ability they've got is to shave a turn off a Necron's reanimation protocol, which can result in a powerful foe like a Lychguard standing back up when you least expect it. They often spawn with both kinds of armor. Frankly, they're rather unimpressive; the healing is meagre and their attack is no better than that of a warrior. Kill the real threats first and make sure to double-tap.
*'''Destroyer:''' A big 4 tile beefy enemy. They have the same kind of attacks as the Immortals but they are much beefier. They usually spawn with 3-4 points of energy armor. Best countermeasure: their 2x2 size and lack of a melee attack makes it easy to box them in. Two turns per round doesn't help when there's a servitor sitting in its way. Get up close and laugh.
*'''Heavy Destroyer:''' Basically the Destroyer with a bit more damage and more health. They need to charge their attacks, but they also get two moves in one turn. You don't meet these very often and they aren't that much stronger than their lighter buddies. Their upgrade is actually range: a heavy destroyer can fire from across the map, given nothing in the way. As with destroyers, stand in their face and hit it with an axe.
*'''Canoptek Scarab:''' The small, annoying enemy. Can repair enemy troops and his attacks cause acid damage to your troops every time it's their turn. They have pitiful hp and no armour. Flamers work, and so does anything else.
*'''Canoptek Spyder:''' A decent threat, the Spyder can spawn Scarabs, boost nearby units' energy armor, and also melee attack. They are usually quite tanky and fairly hard to kill, frequently getting both kinds of armor. If you don't have flamers or other area-of-effect attacks these can be seriously problematic.
*'''Canoptek Acanthrites:''' An enemy with a sucky melee and ranged attack that exists simply to steal your cognition. Kill these obnoxious things so that you can use the cognition for the <s>Emprah</s> Omnissiah. Like Scarabs, their attacks cause acid damage. Thankfully low-health, and rarely have more than 2 armor of one type.
*'''Canoptek Wraith:''' A somewhat unimpressive melee enemy. They seem to be immune to scanning, so hit them with weapons that ignore armor or do enough damage to not care.

== Techpriest Classes ==
There are 6 main specializations (7 With Heretek installed) that you can choose your Techpriests to go down. They each provide different buffs to your Cogboys, as well as different body augments that alter their statistics. Each also reduce either the cooldown or CP cost of an item that works well with their class. They are:
*'''Explorator:''' ''Explorators take on the Quest for Knowledge more than any other discipline. They reach far into the depths of unknown space searching for lost archeotech, new species, and even new worlds.'' 
**These are the melee-oriented Tech-Priests in your cohort. Their upgrades are revealing enemy stats in melee range; avoidance of all opportunity attacks; +3 move, +2 DMG to Machine Spirit attacks; -CP cost on Power Field Generators; and Traveller, where they get +1 DMG, +3 move, +1 of each armor, and +15% Crit Chance as long as you don't have a ranged weapon. Their body augments give +2 HP and 1 physical armor on the head, +3 HP and 1 physical armor on the chest, +2 HP and +3 Movement on the legs, and +1 physical damage for the arms. Explorators are useful combatants, for sure, but they aren't always useful enough in a given situation. Dipping into other support classes can make the Explorator a force to be reckoned with.
*'''Secutor:''' ''Secutors are masters of man and machine. They wield the often rare trait of charisma, with their inspiring leadership they are able to multiply the efficiency of Skitarii tenfold.'' 
**These are the troop support role, but they're also not bad in a fight. Their upgrades buff troops: giving their Servo-Skull a way to buff friendly troops, having troops fire on one target in a hail of Flame/Rads/Weird Warp Energy/Oil, giving troops either defensive or offensive buffs, a reduced cooldown on cognitive canisters, and finally the ability to drop on troop ANYWHERE ON THE MAP for one CP. Their augments provide modest buffs to all areas: the head gives +1 to each armor, the chest adds +4 HP, the legs add +3 HP and +1 move, and the arms add +20% Crit Chance. Secutors mainly are taken in teams with CP-intensive troops like Kastellans or Kataprons, but they are also very effective at buffing the rank-and-file. Secutor generally dips into other disciplines, as not every combat contingency is covered there. Dipping into Secutor is fairly uncommon as the best rewards are farther down the upgrade chart.
*'''Tech-Auxilum:''' ''An often overlooked discipline, the Tech-Auxilium takes on tasks that other Tech-Priests avoid. They are the oil within an engine, they keep the great Mechanicus cog running as smoothly as they can.'' 
**Random Buffs galore. Considered to be a fairly must-take dip as their first upgrade reduces a weapons CP cost by 2 for one turn, but otherwise run-of-the-mill. The upgrades reduce weapon CP cost as already mentioned, let their Servo-Skull give a Tech-Priest +1 Physical armor, add the same thing as the Secutor's 3rd upgrade but for you Upper-Class Priests, reduces Refractor Field cooldown and increases field strength, and a 2 CP cast a canticle for free (and yes, you can then use it later n the mission, or use it again if it's already been used). Their augments are also run of the mill, with the head providing +2 energy armor, +4 HP and +1 Physical armor on the chest, +2 HP and +2 move on the legs, and the arms adding +1 HP and +20% Crit Chance. While a fairly common dip for the first upgrade, a full Tech-Auxilum is not always the best idea; its job on the cohort can become uncertain while not being able to effectively support other team members.
*'''Lexmechanic''' ''Rigorous cataloguers, Lexmechanics compile, analyse, and run data entry tasks. They are capable of finding valuable data among indecipherable texts, maps, or other obscure forms such as enemy weakness in battle.'' 
**This is your CP farm. Plain and simple. This guy spits out CP like you would not believe. A common dip for both the first and second upgrades, you almost certainly want an early game Lexmechanic. The upgrades they receive make them generate a CP when you have none on their turn, allow their Servo-Skull to collect every CP from a cogitator, give you a CP upon killing a target, reduce the cooldown on scanners, and their final upgrade makes them generate a CP when hit, and also gives them a cooldown 5 ability to COMPLETELY FILL YOUR CP GAUGE. Augments are slightly more focused on staying agile, but still meh. The head gives +1 to each armor, the chest gives +4 HP, you get +2HP and +2 move off the legs, and the arms give you +2 HP and +20% dodge chance. A very good specialist, and they will take you through the endgame with their CP farm.
*'''[[Enginseer]]:''' ''Unlike other Priests, Enginseers are found to serve on almost every Imperial planet in the galaxy, seeing to the wellbeing and maintenance of all things mechanical.'' 
**These are basically your Cleric. They heal, they debuff, you know the schtick. The upgrades give them the ability to cleanse targets of things like burn and acid, have them restore 1 HP at the end of their turn, allow them to heal 3 from anywhere, give Curatio Claws -1 Cooldown and +2 base healing, and benediction, where for 1 CP, you can either restore all troop health, or all Tech-Priest health. Their augments are focused on HP and armor, the head gives +1 Physical armor, the chest gives +3 HP and +1 Energy armor, the legs give +2HP and +1 Energy armor, and the arms give +2 HP.
*'''Dominus:''' ''A Dominus is heavily trained in the art of war, using their skills to monitor and calculate highly complex battle maneuvers in the blink of an eye.'' 
**This is your ranged beatstick. They will kick those Necrons metal asses in (and then probably grab the shattered ass and bring it back onboard) Their upgrades give little team support, but makes them damage powerhouses. They get +4 range to ranged weapons, can have their Servo-Skull deal damage as well as scanning, get +2 damage on machine spirit attacks, -1CP on Energia Enhancers, and finally, Rites of Range, where they get +1 DMG flat, +1 to each armor type, ANOTHER +4 range, and +15% Crit Chance. However, you can't have a melee weapon equipped, or you lose the benefit. (Infester or Xenarite Mechadendrites don't count). Their augments basically make them immune to energy AoE, and they give +2HP and +1 Energy armor for the head, +3HP and +1 Energy armor for the chest, +3HP and +3 move for the legs, and the arms give +1 Energy damage.
*'''Xenarite:''' ''The secretive Xenarites seek to understand, [[Heresy|and even use]], dangerous alien technology. Theirs is the discipline that can reap the greatest rewards, and the foulest corruption.'' 
**This is the tree you get if you have Heretek installed, and focuses on adding Crit Chance and damage as your health gets lower. Decent damage dealer, and is a really good dip for the first upgrade. The upgrades heal the Tech-Priest for 1 at the beginning of their turn, adds +1 DMG to all attacks, but you lose 1 HP after each attack, you gain +5% Crit Chance per missing HP, a cooldown 3 heal of 3 to themselves for 1 CP, and a once-per-battle resurrection to 10HP. The augments focus on adding HP for aforrmentioned Crit Chance boost. The head give +2 HP and +1 Physical armor, the chest gives +5 HP, the legs give +2 HP and +20% Crit Chance, and the arms give +3 HP.

== Strategy ==
In the early game, health is an issue and command points are an issue.
Use Servitors as meat shields and CP generators until you level up a bit and get access to armor and extra HP.
Throw in two ranks in Xenerite to get regeneration and a nice equipment.

Equip Mechadendrites that can heal you. Skip any healing equipment that costs CP until you have enough of them or until the other healing equipment gets much better than two of these cheap thingies.

Try not to use chants the first easy missions to get some better ones unlocked. Then do whatever you want. A good combination is to heal the current unit, to deal much extra damage with the next attack (for some alpha strike or last chance moment) and to get free CP.

Equip weapons that deal area of effect damage. Ensure that you yourself have high armor against this type of damage.
Ensure you have a high critical chance. This also allows you to deal damage even if the armor of the enemy outranges your weapon damage (i.e. don't get fooled when "Damage 0" is shown for an attack).
This way the piss poor weapons from the start can be used for a long time until you can equip [[Volkite Weaponry|Martian Deathrays]] and other nice things.
Having at least one non-CP ranged weapon ensures you can send some Xenos back before they reanimate.

Skip all event rooms that are not necessary to cross. Instead go for glyph rooms and the ones you obviously need to finish the mission.
In combat note that the "scan or destroy" objects are worth checking out in nearly all missions. Scan them first by standing in front of them to get extra Blackstone, then shoot/axe them to reduce the current alert level of the Necrons.
That means faster level ups and more missions to do.

Only do the easiest missions first that reward most Blackstone or most useful equipment.
Kite enemies, attack ranged guys in melee and vice versa: Standing right next to a ranged enemy with a Power Axe forces him to move for shooting, which results in a free attack.

Do all missions that grant extra CP until you have 7-9 CP.
Don't start the Heretek DLC (the mutiny missions) though until you are really tanky - you cannot attack the enemies until they attack you first and they have hordes of units. The first mission is labeled [[Trap|Easy]] by the [[Internet Troll|Developers]].
That strategy though works very well for your Tech Priests. With the proper equipment enemies cannot target you until you attack them. Combine this with CP exploitation and the game will be a peace of cake.
You can even win missions without a single attack (a scan or destroy mission allows you to go for the scan with one Tech Priest and move back to the flee zone in one turn - too bad there is no [[Grimdark|pacifist achievement]]).

One way to exploit CP is the following:
Use the Lexmechanic skills Extraction Protocol and Overcharged Cognition and the chant to grant 3/6/9 command points to get CP galore. Also equip Mechandrites that give you CP on use - one Priest with two Mechandrites that grant 3 CP each is nice to have ([[Awesome|then think about up to three having them]]) - just poke objects/enemies with them; that obviously works well with close combat builds.
Having the Cognition Freedom skill of the Tech-Auxilium on all Tech Priests allows you to build some fast and hart hitters: this makes all weapons with the requirement of 2CP to be used for free (once, until the cooldown wears off but all enemies are probably dead by then).
Use your skills to carry over as many CP into the next room as possible. It is nice to start with a full CP bar.

With these skills you can wander to the Xenos you need to purge and do so before they even had a turn.
Hit that pesky special units that are pain in the exhaust first; it even works with Overlords.
With this Blitzkrieg setup you won't even need much healing equipment later.
Be prepared to improvise though, as some bosses might screw with that strategy (e.g. by locking you into a room, forcing you to fight or swapping bodies).

It is also nice to let a Secutor drop some troops and let them shoot your target. Or drop a close combat unit in contact to a Destroyer. Skitarii Alpha are good for that; use the free close combat attack while the Destroyer moves into shooting range, then dodge his shot. By the time you should be there to back your guy up.

== Links ==
*[https://store.steampowered.com/app/673880/Warhammer_40000_Mechanicus/ Mechanicus on Steam]
*[https://www.gog.com/game/warhammer_40000_mechanicus Mechanicus on GOG]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyLLeKcxw24U8s8C24FyUQ0EVS30stymM The games soundtrack]. Seriously, give it a listen, it's some of the best 40k music yet.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gIMZ0WyY88 The atmospheric-AF trailer]
*[https://youtu.be/YirkpurLHkU Mandalore Gaming's review]

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Adeptus Mechanicus]]

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

2022-01-03T04:41:26Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Necron Characters */ typo fix

{{Wh40k-stub}}
[[File:40kMechanicusGameLogo.jpg|center|500px]]
'''Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus''' is a turn-based strategy game about the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] finding a [[Necron]] [[Tomb World]] and trying to ensure that shit doesn't hit the fan too hard. The story for the game was written by [[Ben Counter]] and it's one of the few good 40k video games alongside the likes of DOW and Battlefleet since GW started handing the licences out to everyone who asks. It also contains one of the single most atmospheric and amazing intros to a game ever seen. Also, by the Omnisiah, the soundtrack is ''the shit''.

The combat can drag on at times, and your troops and weapons are very rng on what you can get ahold of, but it is ultimately a solid game. Good, compared to catastrophes like Regicide and Prophecy.

It has since received an expansion pack, '''Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus - Heretek'''.
==Setting==
Set some time after the creation of the [[Great Rift]], [[Tech Priest Dominus|Magos Dominus]] Faustinius, the commander of [[Explorator Fleet|Ark Mechanicus]]: Caestus Metalican, discovers an old transmission from the planet of Silva Tenebris sent by a [[magos]], who reports of an intriguing discovery on the planet. As a squad is sent down to the planet, they discover a Necron tomb, and that the magos who sent the message managed to wake them up, [[Fail|with your squad accelerating the process]]. Unable to receive reinforcements due to the [[Warp]] rift, the members and crew of Caestus Metalican must do everything they can to stop the Necrons from completely waking and causing troubles for the [[Imperium]] at large.

The game has three different endings, and each is determined based on whether you [[Exterminatus|burn everything]], [[Adeptus Mechanicus|leave it for Mars to decide]], [[Heresy|or preserve the planet for future study.]]

==Dramatis Personae==
===The Crew of Caestus Metalican===
Aside from the Magos Dominus, the other important characters, and mission givers, are:

*'''Tech-Acquisitor Scaevola'''
**''"Calculating mission: +++Technology +++Artifacts +++Materials. Benefit > Risks. [Request] Mission commencement."''
**Your very mechanical (as in removed her emotions completely and talks like a computer) advisor. Perhaps the most stereotypical of all Techpriests seen so far in any book or game since; her speech patterns are <s>almost like</s> exactly like Linux shell code rather than proper English. She lusts after alien technologies, doesn't care at all about the lives of her underlings, and in the pursuit of her missions it quickly becomes clear she just wants lots of shiny technology and doesn't care about where it comes from or how many [[Skitarii]] have to die to get it. Completing more of her missions will result in the Xenarites flocking to Silva Tenebris in order to study the Necrons, while ordering Exterminatus will result in her scuttling away to whine to her Order. Note that 'Scaevola' is a latin name meaning left-handed - perhaps a clue to her nature.

*'''Lector-Dogmatix Videx'''
**''"And when at last he came upon the vehicle, he perceived the distress of the engine therein and forthwith struck the rune and it was good."'''
**Imagine your highly religious grandfather (or just an old religious person), and you've just about got Videx. The opposite of Scaevola in that his augments enhance his emotions and he is more focused on the priest part of [[Techpriest]]. Acts as the spiritual advisor and is generally quoting one of the over 560,000 books stored in his mind. It's... difficult to say how much his methods work, as broadcasting binary prayers and filling the Necron tombs with incense smoke probably shouldn't do a damn thing-- yet, oddly enough, such methods work much more often than they should. Completing more of his missions will result in him being satisfied along with the more conservative parts of Mars, whilst preserving Silva Tenebris will result in him threatening to file charges of Heresy upon you.

*'''Sub-Domina Khepra'''
**''"I dread to think of the cost. But if it is your wish, Magos, it shall be so."'''
**The leader of the [[Skitarii]] of the expedition. She hates those who would regard them as just mooks to be thrown into the grinder. Her missions involve helping her Skitarii in fighting against the Necrons better. In short, the most understandable and likeable leader, who is not afraid to throw shade to the others.

*'''Quartermaster Rho'''
**The person in charge of your ship and its supplies, and is prone to redundancies in his speech. He gives missions to ensure you've got enough supplies and that your ship can function.

*'''Prime Hermeticon Caprix'''
**''"Sharpen the spears. Bay the hounds. The hunt is on."''
**The one in charge of seeking high priority targets, and giving missions to kill them. Acts like a really weird hunter and speaks in one of the most ridiculous manners ever to be uttered by a [[Skitarii]].

*'''Xenobiologis Tiresus'''
**A novice Magos who has been trained by Faustinius. His missions only appear if you press the spacebar (activating the Noosphere vision) while in the Missions screen. Completing all seven will unlock a secret (and pretty powerful) Canticle to use.

*'''Servo-Skull Reditus'''
**An unusually chatty [[Servo-skull]] who probably drifts a bit close to tech-heresy canonically, but he narrates the intro so we'll let him off. Formerly a Magos Dominus before being shot by Necrons, and may actually ''be'' the former Magos floating around as a skull. May be named after Reddit (and we're not sure how to feel about that), although in Latin (which is the source of most High Gothic), "reditus sum" is the perfect passive of the verb "redeo" (to give back or return), making "reditus" potentially mean "I have been given back".

*'''Subtribune Xerxetes'''
**Only pops up if you have the Heretek DLC. Missions revolve around purging the Xenarites who have infiltrated the Caestus Metalican.

===Cohorts===
Like any Techpriest, you have the option to bring with you various meatheads of varying price (paid in blackstone) to support your Techpriests in battle. Although not as versatile or as powerful as your Priests they have specialized roles that can fill gaps in your squad very effectively.
*'''[[Servitor]]:''' Your initial troops. Cheap and expendable with no armor, five hit points, and a weak melee attack. They cost zero Blackstone, use only one CP to summon and also give CP if they get damaged. Useful as a meat shield the Servitor's only purpose is to tie up other units and die in battle. They are only capable of fighting Scarabs one on one but can swarm lone Necron warriors and do a lot of damage surprisingly quickly. Their first upgrade gives them a short-ranged taunt that also gives them some armour, while the second gives them a bit more health. Both increase their damage by a point, so they can end up remarkably useful even at the end of the game.
*'''Skitarii Vanguard:''' A mid to late game ranged unit that has a ranged attack that does decent physical damage. Although they originally used Arc Rifles an update changed the name to Radium Rifles. Pretty good, considering that they can be leveled up to have two physical damage attacks every three turns. Their second upgrade gives them 2 points more damage. Unlike the Ranger, they do not reveal enemy stats after firing.
*'''Skitarii Vanguard Alpha:''' Despite the name, Vanguard Alphas are just Melee based infantry. Unfortunately the focus on Melee often results in them having to get in close and nasty which, considering they are up against Necrons, is a really bad idea. They use Lightning Mauls which do energy damage and can arc between targets making them powerful against horde enemies like Flayed Ones or Scarabs, but they lack the punch to deal with nastier Necrons. Once upgraded, they can immobilise targets, but that still isn't enough to make them really useful.
*'''Skitarii Ranger:''' An early to mid game unit, these bad boys are your early standard infantry. They have a half decent energy attack (despite using Galvanic Rifles) but reveal enemy stats when they shoot them, and can be leveled up to have an ability that disables an enemy attack for its next turn making them extremely useful support even in late game missions. Just keep in mind that they are fairly fragile with only 9 HP and weak energy shielding. Their second upgrade makes them always crit, making them a reliable source of armour-piercing damage.
*'''Skitarii Ranger Alpha:''' The less sucky version of the Skitarii Vanguard Alpha. Ranger Alphas cause physical damage and are potent crowd control with an AOE attack that does decent damage. Unfortunately again they are rather fragile for dedicated melee units and will die very quickly if sent into the front lines. Once they get leveled up though, they are able to fight in melee far more effectively.
*'''Kataphron Battle Servitor:''' Kinda meh. While they do great area of affect damage, they generally suck bringing down anything better than a flayed one. Combine this with their lack of range that can even damage you if you are not careful, and are too big to fit in some places, along with huge size and deployment cost. They are useful in the Tomb Of Ubjao but that's about it.
*'''Kastelan Robot:''' The big boys! What their flamethrower doesn't kill, their punch will. They can be quite expensive to call upon unless you go for secutor build to drop them (for free) on an unsuspecting necron. They got good defence and can be used as cover (it's not optimal in most case, but still good to know). Overall a great late game troop, but at the stage of the game that you will use them, your techpriests should already be strong enough that they feel kinda overkill. Their upgrades give them a charge that immobilises targets, and a second flamethrower that hits everything in a circle around them. Gloriously excessive, just make sure that you don't set your precious cogboys on fire.
*'''Sicarian Ruststalker:''' A somewhat slow and squishy melee unit that has two main uses inside of combat: its attack pierces all armor, making it potent at dealing with tough units like lychguards that relying on shielding rather than raw hp. The second is that it gains critical hit chance for every attack, (and after upgrades gains 1 damage as well) meaning that the ruststalker can technically scale forever, sometimes doing 20-30 damage with a 60% crit chance in practice. This causes the ruststalker's opportunity attacks to be remarkably deadly, and it can shred though light enemy units for easy buffs. Ruststalkers benefit from the servo-skull buffing their movement since they struggle to close in on ranged combatants before being shot down, so the speed boost helps them close the distance.
*'''Sicarian Infiltrators''': A really odd unit. They start untargetable until they make an attack, and with upgrades can return to cloaked every three turns. An excellent ability for getting your high-damage melee units in stabbing range... except that the infiltrator is only armed with a piddly little physical-damage gun. That 2-health scarab swarm will never know what hit it!

===Necron Characters===
*'''Overlord Szaregon:''' The tyrant of the Silva Tenebris tombs, he talks a big game and is pretty scary, with two turns, teleports and a high-damage scythe. However, his lack of armour means that he'll likely end up realising pretty quickly why you don't fight fully-equipped techpriests while outnumbered.
*'''Vizier Mehlob:''' A big scary looking Necron Cryptek. He's not much of a threat in combat whatsoever, but he drains all cognition every time he has a turn which can delay some of your bigger guns. His boss arena has you marching slowly down a corridor full of energy barriers while he monologues and sends Triarch Praetorians to harass you. Hope you have some refractor fields!
*'''Grand Architect Neftusk:'''This Cryptek sits on a Canoptek body that can't be targeted by melee and mocks you a lot. He's got 30 HP and 13/13 shielding, which supposedly makes a direct attack impossible. He draws power from three generators around the map; each destroyed generator damages him for 10 HP and activates two heavy gauss turrets... Or you can invoke the Litany of the Electromancer so that your next (2, 3, 6) attacks will ignore all armour, then blast his smug ass to pieces with ranged fire.
*'''Ubjao, the Corrupted King:''' The third boss. A Necron Lord infected with the Flayer Virus, he has painted himself in blood, and donned a cloak made from the skin of his victims decorated with bones and skulls. He is completely mad and can no longer tell the difference between dreams and reality. He sits at the top of a spiral monument and sends hordes of Flayers backed up by Deathmarks. Every time you kill a Necron he gains four hit points even beyond his maximum, and worse yet, there is no way to get CP except killing his troops. This makes abilities that grant free CP valuable, and it is wise to swap out CP intensive weapons for more basic gear. Luckily, he has no armor himself meaning that even the most basic of guns and axes can hurt him. Also, Major props if you kill him with a [[Servitor]].
* '''Void Admiral Agrolekh:''' The first Necron character your crew encounters, and the commander of the dynasty's space fleet. Arrogant even for a Necron. Convinced of his own superiority Agrolekh orders the construction of many monuments, statues, and murals dedicated to his glory, only to later demand them dismantled and replaced with even finer statues. He's a [[Necron Lord#Destroyer Lords|Destroyer Lord]] armed with a [[C'tan Phase Weapons#Warscythe|warscythe]]. His Nightmare Shroud makes him shift his formidable defense stat between Physical and Energy every round. Pound on him with the appropriate damage type. Relentlessly. Or- wait until the turn he's at 0 defense vs whatever you stack the hardest, and kick his ass then.
* '''Lord Astronomer Ekropis:''' A Necron lord convinced that he can read the future in the stars, but his star charts are either massively out of date, completely fabricated, or are plans for how the stars should be. He also likes to toy with you and mock you, and first introduces you to a new type of Necron capable of teleporting itself in the place of any other Necron (including Ekropis) making it difficult to pin down your intended target. Very annoying and very obnoxious, Ekropis' death comes quickly enough as he is not as powerful as he thinks he is, as is only fitting for such a delusional mind.

===Necron Units===
*'''Warriors:''' The first enemy you will encounter. <s>They can't melee attack</s> Since the release they have been updated and now are capable of doing opportunity melee attacks. [[Derp|They do 1 physical damage.]] They're relatively slow. Can spawn with both physical and energy armour, but usually don't have much of either. Kill them like you'd kill any Necron: focus your fire and keep shooting/chopping until they're gone, not just dead. They will always attempt to walk out of melee range on their turn, so if you can get up close then you'll get a free opportunity attack.
*'''Flayers:''' The basic melee enemy. Will rush towards you to hack at your troops. They have very low health and don't spawn with any armour. They will always run toward the last unit that attacked or killed a necron, so you can lead them into opportunity attacks fairly easily. Bring a flamer if you're hitting the Tomb of Ubjao and wipe them all out.
*'''Immortals:''' An improved ranged enemy. His Gauss Blaster or [[Tesla#Tesla Carbine|tesla carbine]] punishes you hard as it can do a fuckton of dmg to a single target or an area blast that also slows. They have decent health and usually spawn with at least 2 points of energy or physical armour. Treat them like you'd treat warriors: focus fire, and get up into melee for tasty attacks of opportunity.
*'''Deathmarks:''' A sniper unit, they can phase shift around the map (ignoring opportunity attacks) and do so automatically when they get hit, they also get overwatch, which means they shoot units that move in their firing arc. High priority target, as they've got low health and essentially two attacks per turn.
*'''Triarch Praetorians:''' One of the first actually dangerous enemies, that can take a low level techpriest in a 1v1. They use jetpacks to move around the map super fast, and have quite strong melee attacks. They also have a little shitty beam ranged attack you'll be glad to see them use. They usually spawn with both kinds of armour. Later on you'll start seeing Triarch Praetorians with voidblades instead. These ... are exactly the same.
*'''Lychguard:''' One of the strongest enemies you can face. The Lychguards are a melee enemy that have a bunch of HP and a crap load of armour, usually at least two of each type. They have a nasty ability called "Counter-attack", which does exactly what you think. If you attack them, they'll walk towards you and take a swipe. Remember that they can and will take attacks of opportunity: if you shoot one with a pistol from anything but maximum range they'll walk up, attack, then attack again when you back off. To make matters worse they'll go into a rage mode when at half health or below, doubling their offensive damage. Finally, their counterattack does not stop if their attack is disabled by something like a Ranger, so don't bother trying. Single them out and kill them with high-power ranged weapons or armor-breaking axe hits. Or, abuse the fact they walk towards whoever shot them to parade them past your melee and opportunity attack equipped magi and cohorts.
*'''Vargard:''' Annoying bastards. They carry war scythes and teleport themselves to swap places with other nearby Necrons. This trick is not exclusive to a certain cowardly Necron Lord. Frequently has significant armor of just one type. No special defenses on these guys; kill them with whatever's at hand.
*'''Crypteks:''' A necron support unit. They dont do much on their own, having only a weak melee attack, but they can heal fellow necrons, give them armour and steal your cognition. The most powerful ability they've got is to shave a turn off a Necron's reanimation protocol, which can result in a powerful foe like a Lychguard standing back up when you least expect it. They often spawn with both kinds of armor. Frankly, they're rather unimpressive; the healing is meagre and their attack is no better than that of a warrior. Kill the real threats first and make sure to double-tap.
*'''Destroyer:''' A big 4 tile beefy enemy. They have the same kind of attacks as the Immortals but they are much beefier. They usually spawn with 3-4 points of energy armor. Best countermeasure: their 2x2 size and lack of a melee attack makes it easy to box them in. Two turns per round doesn't help when there's a servitor sitting in its way. Get up close and laugh.
*'''Heavy Destroyer:''' Basically the Destroyer with a bit more damage and more health. They need to charge their attacks, but they also get two moves in one turn. You don't meet these very often and they aren't that much stronger than their lighter buddies. Their upgrade is actually range: a heavy destroyer can fire from across the map, given nothing in the way. As with destroyers, stand in their face and hit it with an axe.
*'''Canoptek Scarab:''' The small, annoying enemy. Can repair enemy troops and his attacks cause acid damage to your troops every time it's their turn. They have pitiful hp and no armour. Flamers work, and so does anything else.
*'''Canoptek Spyder:''' A decent threat, the Spyder can spawn Scarabs, boost nearby units' energy armor, and also melee attack. They are usually quite tanky and fairly hard to kill, frequently getting both kinds of armor. If you don't have flamers or other area-of-effect attacks these can be seriously problematic.
*'''Canoptek Acanthrites:''' An enemy with a sucky melee and ranged attack that exists simply to steal your cognition. Kill these obnoxious things so that you can use the cognition for the <s>Emprah</s> Omnissiah. Like Scarabs, their attacks cause acid damage. Thankfully low-health, and rarely have more than 2 armor of one type.
*'''Canoptek Wraith:''' A somewhat unimpressive melee enemy. They seem to be immune to scanning, so hit them with weapons that ignore armor or do enough damage to not care.

== Techpriest Classes ==
There are 6 main specializations (7 With Heretek installed) that you can choose your Techpriests to go down. They each provide different buffs to your Cogboys, as well as different body augments that alter their statistics. Each also reduce either the cooldown or CP cost of an item that works well with their class. They are:
*'''Explorator:''' ''Explorators take on the Quest for Knowledge more than any other discipline. They reach far into the depths of unknown space searching for lost archeotech, new species, and even new worlds.'' 
**These are the melee-oriented Tech-Priests in your cohort. Their upgrades are revealing enemy stats in melee range; avoidance of all opportunity attacks; +3 move, +2 DMG to Machine Spirit attacks; -CP cost on Power Field Generators; and Traveller, where they get +1 DMG, +3 move, +1 of each armor, and +15% Crit Chance as long as you don't have a ranged weapon. Their body augments give +2 HP and 1 physical armor on the head, +3 HP and 1 physical armor on the chest, +2 HP and +3 Movement on the legs, and +1 physical damage for the arms. Explorators are useful combatants, for sure, but they aren't always useful enough in a given situation. Dipping into other support classes can make the Explorator a force to be reckoned with.
*'''Secutor:''' ''Secutors are masters of man and machine. They wield the often rare trait of charisma, with their inspiring leadership they are able to multiply the efficiency of Skitarii tenfold.'' 
**These are the troop support role, but they're also not bad in a fight. Their upgrades buff troops: giving their Servo-Skull a way to buff friendly troops, having troops fire on one target in a hail of Flame/Rads/Weird Warp Energy/Oil, giving troops either defensive or offensive buffs, a reduced cooldown on cognitive canisters, and finally the ability to drop on troop ANYWHERE ON THE MAP for one CP. Their augments provide modest buffs to all areas: the head gives +1 to each armor, the chest adds +4 HP, the legs add +3 HP and +1 move, and the arms add +20% Crit Chance. Secutors mainly are taken in teams with CP-intensive troops like Kastellans or Kataprons, but they are also very effective at buffing the rank-and-file. Secutor generally dips into other disciplines, as not every combat contingency is covered there. Dipping into Secutor is fairly uncommon as the best rewards are farther down the upgrade chart.
*'''Tech-Auxilum:''' ''An often overlooked discipline, the Tech-Auxilium takes on tasks that other Tech-Priests avoid. They are the oil within an engine, they keep the great Mechanicus cog running as smoothly as they can.'' 
**Random Buffs galore. Considered to be a fairly must-take dip as their first upgrade reduces a weapons CP cost by 2 for one turn, but otherwise run-of-the-mill. The upgrades reduce weapon CP cost as already mentioned, let their Servo-Skull give a Tech-Priest +1 Physical armor, add the same thing as the Secutor's 3rd upgrade but for you Upper-Class Priests, reduces Refractor Field cooldown and increases field strength, and a 2 CP cast a canticle for free (and yes, you can then use it later n the mission, or use it again if it's already been used). Their augments are also run of the mill, with the head providing +2 energy armor, +4 HP and +1 Physical armor on the chest, +2 HP and +2 move on the legs, and the arms adding +1 HP and +20% Crit Chance. While a fairly common dip for the first upgrade, a full Tech-Auxilum is not always the best idea; its job on the cohort can become uncertain while not being able to effectively support other team members.
*'''Lexmechanic''' ''Rigorous cataloguers, Lexmechanics compile, analyse, and run data entry tasks. They are capable of finding valuable data among indecipherable texts, maps, or other obscure forms such as enemy weakness in battle.'' 
**This is your CP farm. Plain and simple. This guy spits out CP like you would not believe. A common dip for both the first and second upgrades, you almost certainly want an early game Lexmechanic. The upgrades they receive make them generate a CP when you have none on their turn, allow their Servo-Skull to collect every CP from a cogitator, give you a CP upon killing a target, reduce the cooldown on scanners, and their final upgrade makes them generate a CP when hit, and also gives them a cooldown 5 ability to COMPLETELY FILL YOUR CP GAUGE. Augments are slightly more focused on staying agile, but still meh. The head gives +1 to each armor, the chest gives +4 HP, you get +2HP and +2 move off the legs, and the arms give you +2 HP and +20% dodge chance. A very good specialist, and they will take you through the endgame with their CP farm.
*'''[[Enginseer]]:''' ''Unlike other Priests, Enginseers are found to serve on almost every Imperial planet in the galaxy, seeing to the wellbeing and maintenance of all things mechanical.'' 
**These are basically your Cleric. They heal, they debuff, you know the schtick. The upgrades give them the ability to cleanse targets of things like burn and acid, have them restore 1 HP at the end of their turn, allow them to heal 3 from anywhere, give Curatio Claws -1 Cooldown and +2 base healing, and benediction, where for 1 CP, you can either restore all troop health, or all Tech-Priest health. Their augments are focused on HP and armor, the head gives +1 Physical armor, the chest gives +3 HP and +1 Energy armor, the legs give +2HP and +1 Energy armor, and the arms give +2 HP.
*'''Dominus:''' ''A Dominus is heavily trained in the art of war, using their skills to monitor and calculate highly complex battle maneuvers in the blink of an eye.'' 
**This is your ranged beatstick. They will kick those Necrons metal asses in (and then probably grab the shattered ass and bring it back onboard) Their upgrades give little team support, but makes them damage powerhouses. They get +4 range to ranged weapons, can have their Servo-Skull deal damage as well as scanning, get +2 damage on machine spirit attacks, -1CP on Energia Enhancers, and finally, Rites of Range, where they get +1 DMG flat, +1 to each armor type, ANOTHER +4 range, and +15% Crit Chance. However, you can't have a melee weapon equipped, or you lose the benefit. (Infester or Xenarite Mechadendrites don't count). Their augments basically make them immune to energy AoE, and they give +2HP and +1 Energy armor for the head, +3HP and +1 Energy armor for the chest, +3HP and +3 move for the legs, and the arms give +1 Energy damage.
*'''Xenarite:''' ''The secretive Xenarites seek to understand, [[Heresy|and even use]], dangerous alien technology. Theirs is the discipline that can reap the greatest rewards, and the foulest corruption.'' 
**This is the tree you get if you have Heretek installed, and focuses on adding Crit Chance and damage as your health gets lower. Decent damage dealer, and is a really good dip for the first upgrade. The upgrades heal the Tech-Priest for 1 at the beginning of their turn, adds +1 DMG to all attacks, but you lose 1 HP after each attack, you gain +5% Crit Chance per missing HP, a cooldown 3 heal of 3 to themselves for 1 CP, and a once-per-battle resurrection to 10HP. The augments focus on adding HP for aforrmentioned Crit Chance boost. The head give +2 HP and +1 Physical armor, the chest gives +5 HP, the legs give +2 HP and +20% Crit Chance, and the arms give +3 HP.

== Strategy ==
In the early game, health is an issue and command points are an issue.
Use Servitors as meat shields and CP generators until you level up a bit and get access to armor and extra HP.
Throw in two ranks in Xenerite to get regeneration and a nice equipment.

Equip Mechadendrites that can heal you. Skip any healing equipment that costs CP until you have enough of them or until the other healing equipment gets much better than two of these cheap thingies.

Try not to use chants the first easy missions to get some better ones unlocked. Then do whatever you want. A good combination is to heal the current unit, to deal much extra damage with the next attack (for some alpha strike or last chance moment) and to get free CP.

Equip weapons that deal area of effect damage. Ensure that you yourself have high armor against this type of damage.
Ensure you have a high critical chance. This also allows you to deal damage even if the armor of the enemy outranges your weapon damage (i.e. don't get fooled when "Damage 0" is shown for an attack).
This way the piss poor weapons from the start can be used for a long time until you can equip [[Volkite Weaponry|Martian Deathrays]] and other nice things.
Having at least one non-CP ranged weapon ensures you can send some Xenos back before they reanimate.

Skip all event rooms that are not necessary to cross. Instead go for glyph rooms and the ones you obviously need to finish the mission.
In combat note that the "scan or destroy" objects are worth checking out in nearly all missions. Scan them first by standing in front of them to get extra Blackstone, then shoot/axe them to reduce the current alert level of the Necrons.
That means faster level ups and more missions to do.

Only do the easiest missions first that reward most Blackstone or most useful equipment.
Kite enemies, attack ranged guys in melee and vice versa: Standing right next to a ranged enemy with a Power Axe forces him to move for shooting, which results in a free attack.

Do all missions that grant extra CP until you have 7-9 CP.
Don't start the Heretek DLC (the mutiny missions) though until you are really tanky - you cannot attack the enemies until they attack you first and they have hordes of units. The first mission is labeled [[Trap|Easy]] by the [[Internet Troll|Developers]].
That strategy though works very well for your Tech Priests. With the proper equipment enemies cannot target you until you attack them. Combine this with CP exploitation and the game will be a peace of cake.
You can even win missions without a single attack (a scan or destroy mission allows you to go for the scan with one Tech Priest and move back to the flee zone in one turn - too bad there is no [[Grimdark|pacifist achievement]]).

One way to exploit CP is the following:
Use the Lexmechanic skills Extraction Protocol and Overcharged Cognition and the chant to grant 3/6/9 command points to get CP galore. Also equip Mechandrites that give you CP on use - one Priest with two Mechandrites that grant 3 CP each is nice to have ([[Awesome|then think about up to three having them]]) - just poke objects/enemies with them; that obviously works well with close combat builds.
Having the Cognition Freedom skill of the Tech-Auxilium on all Tech Priests allows you to build some fast and hart hitters: this makes all weapons with the requirement of 2CP to be used for free (once, until the cooldown wears off but all enemies are probably dead by then).
Use your skills to carry over as many CP into the next room as possible. It is nice to start with a full CP bar.

With these skills you can wander to the Xenos you need to purge and do so before they even had a turn.
Hit that pesky special units that are pain in the exhaust first; it even works with Overlords.
With this Blitzkrieg setup you won't even need much healing equipment later.
Be prepared to improvise though, as some bosses might screw with that strategy (e.g. by locking you into a room, forcing you to fight or swapping bodies).

It is also nice to let a Secutor drop some troops and let them shoot your target. Or drop a close combat unit in contact to a Destroyer. Skitarii Alpha are good for that; use the free close combat attack while the Destroyer moves into shooting range, then dodge his shot. By the time you should be there to back your guy up.

== Links ==
*[https://store.steampowered.com/app/673880/Warhammer_40000_Mechanicus/ Mechanicus on Steam]
*[https://www.gog.com/game/warhammer_40000_mechanicus Mechanicus on GOG]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyLLeKcxw24U8s8C24FyUQ0EVS30stymM The games soundtrack]. Seriously, give it a listen, it's some of the best 40k music yet.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gIMZ0WyY88 The atmospheric-AF trailer]
*[https://youtu.be/YirkpurLHkU Mandalore Gaming's review]

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Adeptus Mechanicus]]

Dwarf

2021-03-20T08:09:20Z

2600:8807:910F:9300:110F:F4F0:F3F9:287C: /* Dwarven Culture */

[[Image:Tordek.jpg|thumb|right|Fig. 1.1: A dwarf. Note the prominent beard, the ornate axe, and the helmet covering everything above the ears.]]
A '''Dwarf''' (or more properly, '''Dorf''') is a short guy who is made of muscle and beard and alcohol and awesome. No member of dwarf society can function without alcohol. Even their infants are made to chug a whole keg of ale down before Mommy ever lets the baby near her nipples (although, given the liquor intake of the average dwarven mother, she probably lactates eggnog). They like to live in [[Dwarf Fortress|fortresses]]. Dwarf characters should have one or a combination of the words "beer", "beard", "bronze", "stone", "Urist", "Mc/Mac", "iron", "hammer", or "axe" in their names. A good example would be Hammer McShieldbearded. They are one of the most iconic non-human races in fantasy media, alongside their eternal rivals, the [[elf|elves]]. Popularized by the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Gary Gygax]], dwarves are fundamental to most fantasy games and have earned themselves a place of eternal love on [[/tg/]].

==Mythological Origins==
The basic name "Dwarf" stems from the Germanic and/or Nordic mythologies of ancient Europe, where they were envisioned as a race of short, magical beings who came into being after the death of Ymir (the giant whose corpse formed the world after the gods slew him); once the father of all [[giant]]s had his body turned into the earth, the maggots boring through his flesh were transformed into dimunitive, pallid humanoids - the first dwarves. That said, the dwarven archetype is, frankly, kind of wide-spread; most cultures have some kind of diminutive [[fey]]-type entity, and what's worse is that their nature as "short magical people" means the dwarven "lineage" is a confusing tangle that interconnects with [[elves]], [[gnome]]s and even [[goblin]]s - many dwarves have been described as hideously ugly, or turning into stone when exposed to sunlight, like certain breeds of [[troll]].

The most famous dwarf is the aforementioned Germanic/Nordic dwarf. Resembling a short, long-bearded old man, these dwarves are fierce-tempered and quite strong, despite their stature, as well as being renowned for their ability to craft magical items, and their love of precious stones and metals, which they mine incessantly. These traits were popularized by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], who used them as the basis for his dwarves in [[The Lord of the Rings]]. What he left out of his dwarves is the fact that, in the mythology, dwarves are often hideously ugly, sometimes turn into stone when exposed to sunlight, and are often skilled sorcerers as well as crafters of magic items. Dwarves forged Odin's spear and Thor's hammer, as well as many other magical treasures of the Nordic gods, including the fetter that binds the Fenris Wolf and hair of living gold for Thor's wife after Loki sheared her bald. European tales of dwarves often depict them as superhumanly strong and with an affinity for illusion and shapeshifting.

[[Leprechaun]]s are dwarf-like in appearance, but are mischievous tricksters who use their sorcerous talents to prank humans, especially when they are sought out for their legendary hidden treasures, which are usually depicted as soup cauldrons full of gold coins. Unlike the smithing and mining Nordic Dwarf, leprechauns are more associated with cobbling and tailoring, making them an Irish relative of the [[Brownie]]. They have a cousin called the Clurichaun, which is a booze-fiend who likes to make a nuisance of itself by hiding in wine and beer cellars to guzzle the liquor.

Domovoi and Dvorovoi are Russian [[fey]] who visibly resemble dwarves. Domovoi are house spirits, kind of like [[Brownie]]s; so long as they feel a house's owner is hardworking and respectful, they will guard the house from mundane and magical harm, especially focused on protecting the children or battling evil fey. Dvorovoi are a more fearsome relative of the Domovoi who inhabit farmsteads; unlike Domovoi, they stay outside, looking after the animals and protecting against threats from outside... but also playing pranks and killing animals they take a dislike to.

Ancient Egypt also had dwarves, as well as a patron god of dwarves: Bes. Egyptian dwarves were more like Japanese [[Tanuki]] than anything else; they were lucky, jovial, and had tremendous bedroom prowess supported by enormous genitals. This was fortunate for the Egyptians that were born with dwarfism as it afforded them a kind of revered and protected status in society.

==Dwarven Physiology==
Let's start with the obvious; dwarves are most readily distinguished from humans by their stature, being notably shorter than the human average. Over the editions, this has fluctated somewhat, but in general dwarves have a height range between 4 and 5 feet - which still makes them taller than [[gnomes]] and [[halflings]], who average closer to the 3ft-4ft mark. Combined with their strong builds and stocky frames, dwarves are technically considered Medium creatures rather than Small ones, although usually they're slower than "full-sized" Medium races. If you want to over examine things, this works well with the dwarf association with heavy armor. Shorter size, less surface area, less metal needed to give equal protection to that of a human size species, and due to their greater strength for their size, they can wear thicker armor and yet have it weigh and even cost the same as armor for a human that gives overall less protection.

Dwarves are noted for their rugged natures; their [[Constitution]] is higher than average and even beyond that, they're inherently resistant to poisons (which suggests that their food should, in fact, be more flavourful than humans; however, dwarven food is often portrayed as bland). This, incidentally, may play a part in their famous love of alcohol. In earlier editions, dwarves are also strongly resistant to magical energy, due to a combination of physical and mental fortitude; this aspect has died away over the editions as it was mostly used to justify dwarves not being able to play [[wizard]]s or [[bard]]s (in fact in the minds of many [[grognard|grognards]] a dwarven wizard is as big an oxymoron as something like a [[celestial]] [[fiend]] or an arachnophobic [[drow]]).

One of the most famous aspects of dwarven physiology is the beard. Dwarven men are prone to male pattern baldness, but compensate for it with the ability to readily grow thick, luscious, bushy beards and/or moustaches. Why? Well... because dwarves are just associated with beards (goes back to their folkloric roots). You can have cleanshaven dwarves - in fact, the dwarves of [[Dark Sun]] are naturally hairless - but the image is quite subversive.

Dwarves are often depicted as having difficulties reproducing - they may not be formally considered a "dying" race, but they often have either a slow population growth rate, or a dearth of females (it should be noted that in real life species with this sort of asymmetric population ratio, the rarer sex is usually significantly larger on average and keeps a harem of the more common sex, which in the case of bigger and rarer females would likely result in a matriarchal society if sapience develops), if not both. In [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons|traditional D&D lore]], dwarf women make up only one ''third'' of the dwarf population, which is not good when it takes a year for them to give birth after getting pregnant. In the [[Forgotten Realms]] in the same era, lore from the splatbook "Dwarves Deep" states that not only do dwarf men outnumber the women (only 3 in 10 dwarves are female), but also that 55% of the total population has fertility issues so bad that they might as well be sterile when interbreeding with each other.

Mind you, Forgotten Realms actually gives a reason for this in the "Spawn Wars"; an ancient dwarven civil war where the dwarves used aberrations called Deepspawn to produce huge armies of clone soldiers. When the war ended, they were left with not only a surplus of males, but interbreeding with these clones (and clones of clones of clones) damaged their genetic stock, leaving the dwarves with their current damaged fertility. Until 3rd edition basically retconned all the damage away, at least, courtesy of a divine intervention called "the Thunder Blessing".

Likewise, 3e dumped the "dwarf men outnumber the women" angle, and it's never been seen since.

As part of this, dwarves usually aren't depicted as being capable of crossbreeding with other races, as elaborated on the [[half-dwarf]] page.

===The Bearded Females Debate===
[[file:FemaleDwarf.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Frigga loves wrestling, drinking and flower-pressing.]]

If you bring up Dwarves anywhere, chances are, you'll hear somebody mocking them for the idea that their womenfolk have beards. This stems from Tolkien, whose works established that Dwarven women visually resemble Dwarven men to the extent that human eyes can't tell them apart at a casual glance. Its not explicitly stated however that "female Dwarves have beards", so among Tolkien fans there tends to be debate on if he meant they have full beards or just that they are just masculine; Peter Jackson's portrayal in the movies took the middle ground, giving them a small amount of wispy hair that looks like a human beard, although the massive and thick styled beards of the males along with the females wearing feminine clothing make it clear to the audience which is which.

Because [[Dungeons & Dragons]] was inspired by Tolkien, to an arguable extent, you probably think D&D popularized the idea, right? Well... yes and no. In fact, D&D books are actually all over the place on the subject. The [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 1e PHB doesn't even mention the concept (though the DMG does), and it's likewise absent from the 1e Monster Manual. In [[Complete Book Series|The Complete Book of Dwarves]], it's stated that only the Deep Dwarves strain possess bearded women - or, admittedly, a cultural trait of women ''keeping'' their beards; the exact line goes "the females wear their beards long, unlike other dwarf women (who are typically clean-shaven)". In [[Dragonlance]], it was established that female dwarves don't grow beards proper, but instead merely have very bushy sideburns. But then there were the [[Forgotten Realms]]... here, [[splatbook]]s like "Dwarves Deep" establish Faerunian female dwarves as having beards, although this is not culturally required and many do shave. This is further cemented by books like "Demihuman Deities", which portrays all of the female members of the [[Morndinsamman]] as being bearded.

When WoTC took over, they did their best to sweep this under the rug. All references to dwarven female beards were retconned away, pointedly left absent even from the 3e update of the Realms. When [[Eberron]] was released, it was explicitly stated that the native dwarves do '''not''' have bearded women. When 4th edition was rolled out, female dwarf beards were officially stricken from the canon of D&D - they even devoted a section of "Wizards Presents: Races & Classes" to it - and this seems to be one 4e change that has since been preserved by 5e.

As an aside, 4th edition actually made its female dwarves surprisingly attractive, which, given that [[mul]]s also lost their [[Grimdark#Grimderp|grimderp]] "sterile and usually kill the mother in birth" lore, should have made human/dwarf relationships a lot more common...

The evolution of most current fantasy race tropes usually goes to [[Warhammer Fantasy]], but WFB opted to take a different route and instead made Dwarf women super rare rather than bearded as an excuse to make no([[The Grudge Of Drong|t many]]) female Dwarf miniatures. Of course Citadel's Dwarf miniatures originated as the old lines made when [[Games Workshop]] was the sole distributor of D&D minis in Europe, and their original Dwarf females also lacked beards. Canonically female Dwarfs instead grow their hair into plaits, and judge them by said plaits the same way male Dwarfs do beards (which is a bit unfair since female Slayers must shave their hair into a mohawk despite male Dwarfs getting to keep their beards, unless said beard being shaved is why they're taking the Oath anyway).

[[Warcraft]] only began showing female Dwarves with the release of [[World of Warcraft]], where they were a player race. Although unbearded, there are jokes in the game that some ancient heroic Dwarf females had beards (which makes sense, they are descended from a visually all-male race of magic metal/stone robots that were corrupted by Lovecraftian horrors into flesh animals (makes only a bit more sense in-context)), jokes that they just shave, and jokes that their beard [[/d/|isn't on their face]].

Why does the [[meme]] persist? Grandfather clause, basically; while many fans argue it's a defining aspect of what makes dwarves unique, citing that if it was good enough for [[Tolkien]], [[Gygax]] and [[Terry Pratchett]], it should be good enough for the modern DM, just as many fans rebut that D&D isn't Tolkien anymore and that "bearded women" are never really anything deeper than a silly joke. As with any meme that persists on /tg/ to this day, nobody will give an inch.

To date, [[Hackmaster]] remains the primary setting to find bearded female Dwarves as far as active tabletop gaming, although given the setting was created mostly as a parody originating in [[Knights Of The Dinner Table]] comics it obviously isn't being played straight.

As a side-note, if you want to put an interesting spin on the "dwarves all look alike" cliche, you could always try reversing it. Thus, instead of bearded dwarf women being mistaken for menfolk, you have dwarf men who, due to facial features and cultural values of appropriate dress/accessories/behavior/etc, are easily mistaken for their womenfolk... at least until their pants come off. This will likely get you called out on [[Magical Realm]], especially if you're also slapping dwarves with the [[shortstack]] build at the same time (for example, male dwarf tits are actually fat-based mating displays; the bigger his tits, the more successful that dwarf is, and so the better a catch he is for a lady dwarf), but, hey, it's your table, and if your party doesn't mind, who cares? Consider also having a traditional hairstyle being to braid the hair of their head beneath the chin like its a beard, or having the soldiers have helmets that depict a beard regardless of the gender of the wearer.

==Dwarven Psychology==
Dwarves are generally described as a naturally Lawful race, if you put stock in [[alignment]]. Specifically, dwarves tend to be focused, disciplined, organized, and naturally driven. When they start something, they devote their whole attention to it, and they hate to either leave something unfinished or give it anything less than their best. Furthermore, dwarves tend to be deeply conservative; they don't like change very much and are deep believers in the importance of tradition.

In contrast to the elves, dwarves are usually described as being a very stoic and emotionally closed off sort of race. Which is rather weird given how cheerful and friendly the dwarves are in Tolkien's original "The Hobbit" - most sources try to rectify the discrepancy by claiming that dwarves are naturally suspicious and so only let their hair down around people they feel they can truly trust. All of these factors combine to form the stereotype of the dwarf as a grumpy, surly, hard-working yet unpleasant little bugger.

==Dwarven Culture==
Dwarf culture is usually described as fairly monolithic, although settings do play around with the basics - [[Dragonlance]] in particularly gives dwarves a very fleshed out history and culture.

Typically, dwarven culture is clannish, where extended family groupings form the foundation of greater dwarf society. Clans may be independent nation-states in their own right, or they may be used to form specific divisions of skill in dwarf society as a whole; for example, one clan may actually mine the ore, a second smiths it, a third trades with other races, and a fourth clan produces livestock.

Dwarven leadership is usually a form of parlimentarian monarchy, with clan-chiefs forming councils that advise but ultimately answer to a single reigning dwarf king. Dwarven culture may also have some aspects of a gerontocracy, although being a full-fledged case of "rulership by the eldest" is actually rarely seen.

Because dwarves don't like change much, dwarven society is usually depicted as being at best conservative and at worst stubbornly hidebound. Whether this is admirable, a surmountable issue or a fatal flaw tends to depend on what the setting designer thinks of dwarven conservatism.

Mining and smithing are usually portrayed as hugely important to dwarven culture, which is mythologically true. Of course, in the hands of some authors, this can be taken to silly extents - in [[Mystara]], originally, the Dwarves of Rockholm valued mining and smithing so much that the single clan responsible for herding livestock and farming was considered second-class and literally treated as a bunch of near-criminals. This eventually changed when reality ensued and the farmer-clan barricaded the smiths in their underground tunnels, telling them "Okay you shits, let's see you '''eat''' that fucking gold!" Once the smiths learned they couldn't actually eat gold, coal or iron, they were forced to admit that the farmers actually were an important part of the dwarven society.

In general, dwarf culture usually borrows a lot of themes and concepts from [[Viking|Nordic cultures]], seeing as how the fantasy dwarf is most closely derived from the Nordic dwarf. Depending on a DM's taste, they may supplement or replace this influence with Germanic, Scottish or Welsh attributes. This is interesting, since the popular image of Dwarves derives in great part from Tolkien's work, who described them as being allegories for the Jews. Quote: "The dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic." Consider...they speak the local language but with an accent, are at once considered locals and yet outsiders who have lost their homeland, have a propensity for being Craftsmen (a common trade for Jews who couldn't own land in medieval times) and of course the greed for gold based off stereotypes of usury. Tolkien seemed to have made several positive statements about Jews (and notably sent a scathing letter to the Nazi government when asked to confirm he was not Jewish for the Hobbit's publishing in Germany), and the Dwarves in LoTR are generally portrayed positively.

==Dwarven Flaws==
The dwarves are not without their share of moral failings, no matter what their legions of fanboys may think. From the perspective of narrative this is a good thing.

One of the most prominent of these is avarice: dwarves '''love''' gold and gems and other valuable materials - it's why they're so obsessed with mining in the first place. The sight of gold make's a typical dwarf's palms get sweaty, and they are notorious for their greed. If a dwarf is motivated to do something dickish, at least 7 times out of 10, it'll be for the love of money. Even in the Complete Book of Dwarves, it was admitted that gold has an almost spell-like pull on the dwarven psyche. This mainly comes from the Nordic and Germanic myths, where the dwarven lust for gold is quite pronounced; they are greedy little bastards, most exemplified by the story of Sigurd, where the root of all the trouble comes from a dwarf named Fafnir, who murders his father to steal the weregild (treasure paid as restitution for murder) given to his father for the murder of his brother Otar, transforming into a dragon to better guard his wealth, only to be murdered by Sigurd, who was put up to the task by Fafnir's other brother Regin. Oh, and the gold was cursed because it was originally stolen from another dwarf, Andar. But, of course, like most "standard" dwarf traits, it was popularized in Tolkien's work, where the mental and cultural fixation dwarves have for gold is said to be the result of the corrupting influence of the seven rings of dark power that Sauron gave them.

Another common dwarven flaw is being direct and orderly to a fault. Not in terms of tyranny (which does manifest on occasion, but is far from the norm) but in terms of rigidness and inflexibility. Dwarves like tradition, they like honest dealings, they like cultivating their skills and they like putting the raw chaotic mess of the world into order, which they have long ago mastered. The problem is that problems keep coming up which mar their efforts, from humans that don't make their payments to orcs raiding their mountain homes. The view they cultivate is not to adapt to the changing situation, but to dig in and stew in indignation.

One manifestation of that, and the one that /tg/ often has the hardest time admitting, is arrogance. Just like their fellow "Elder Race", the [[elf|elves]], dwarves take a huge amount of pride in their long history, their skills and their close ties to their patron god(s). They look down on many other races, and often demand respect and recognition - sometimes in far greater proportion than is actually warranted. This can make some dwarves quite braggadocios; the big difference is that, unlike elves, most settings aren't afraid to call dwarves out on their shit when they start getting snooty (although it does happen, sometimes).

Dwarves are not conventionally attractive. They ''make'' beautiful things, are not hideous or monstrous, there are exceptions to the rule and there are people out there which are going to be into short, robust fellows with severe features and a beard you could loose a chicken in, but as a general your average Dwarf is pretty far removed from the classical ideals of beauty. Contrast them with elves which are either idealized humans or possess a willowy grace to them.

Less universal failings include stubbornness, low self-esteem, hypocrisy and vindictiveness. Once a dwarf makes up his mind, he will rarely back down, sometimes well beyond the point of stupidity. Likewise, if a dwarf fails at something, it can often be hard for them to get over to it, leading to everything from maudlin self-pity to self-destructive behavior, or simply blaming everyone for it, especially other races that are close enough to blame). Finally, dwarves are associated with bearing grudges for a reason.

Though most dwarf failings are mental, cultural failings aren't unheard of either. There are two major forms that this tends to take.

The first is strict social calcification. Dwarven culture can easily slip into a strict caste structure, where some or all of the population is treated like crap just because of how the dwarves view their culture. [[Mystara]]n dwarves are a good example of this; they used to treat any dwarf who wasn't involved in mining as little better than a criminal.

The second, somewhat more common form, is over-conservatism. Dwarves are pretty much universally depicted as proud of their traditions and cautious about changing, but in some dwarven cultures, this can go to almost suicidal lengths, to the point where dwarves practically consider "progress" and "change" to be dirty words.

It should bear mentioning that just how prominent these traits are, and how crippling they are, depends a lot on the setting. [[Dark Fantasy]] settings in particular tend to use this to make dwarves seem "appropriately flawed". The [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|Dawi]] of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] are perfect examples of just how these traits can turn a normally admirable race into a bunch of petty little assholes when cranked up. For example, in Warhammer the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|High Elves]] - who have the standard elven arrogance - acknowledge the existence of the [[Dark Elves (Warhammer)|Dark Elves]] and the infighting they originated from, but the Dwarfs pretend [[Chaos Dwarfs]] don't exist and get very butthurt if they're even mentioned.

==Dwarven Diplomacy==
Dwarves may not be the most conventionally charismatic of races, but they are still part of the [[demihuman]]s crowd, which means that the default expectation is that they're good guys, and thus they're expected to interact with other races like rational people.

Typically, dwarves often get portrayed as the "grumpy but loving conservative grandpa" in the general hierarchy of demihumans; the other races respect them, even like them, but they don't always get along, and they're not afraid to call them out on their shit.

Dwarves usually get on the best with [[human]]s, more or less. They find the human lack of respect for tradition exasperating, and it actually bugs them that humans don't live so long - you start getting to like one, and then the next thing you know, he's dead. Still, the human drive and passion, combined with their admiration for dwarven prowess and skill, means the races do respect each other. Plus, when they team up, they can ''really'' get shit done, as many settings show. Honestly, with how well the two races get on, it really is odd that [[half-dwarf|human/dwarf mating]] isn't as common as [[half-elf|human/elf mating]] - or even more so. In short, if Dwarfs are the best then humans are a close second with anyone in third being far more distant.

Dwarves and [[elf|elves]] have a... complicated relationship. Despite what you'd think, dwarves and elves don't actually go to war much in D&D. The two races actually have a lot in common; their shared longevity - and thus, preference to look at the long term when it comes to making decisions - gives them a common attitude towards dealing with problems, and dwarves can appreciate the fact that elves put a lot of work into their craft as well. It's the difference in work ethic and priorities that causes the races to have troubles communicating; dwarves don't understand the "play first, work later" general attitude of elves, and it annoys them that, rather than sitting down at something and getting it done, elves will drift back and forth between projects as their interest waxes and wanes. Still, they can tolerate each other, and when they deign to work together, great shit happens. If the Elves are of the manlier, bearded variety this alliance will be a solid wall against whatever bad guy attacks that day.

Dwarves are probably closest to their [[gnome]] cousins, but even then, it's a somewhat rocky relationship. The gnomish love of humor and obsession with magic of leaves dwarves dumbfounded and sighing at their "silliness".

Dwarves usually don't even think about [[halfling]]s. The two races just don't move in the same terrain, never mind the same circles. When together, it is usually a shared love of strong drink and great food that forms the basis of friendships.

Perhaps the most consistent and reliable relationship that dwarves have is their enmity with [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s. They fight in almost '''every''' fantasy setting you care to name, and this actually makes a lot of sense. Beyond the fact that the races are natural foils for each other (long-lived, slow-breeding, orderly, skilled crafter dwarves vs. short-lived, fast-breeding, anarchic, crude crafter orcs/goblins), it also reflects nature. See, both dwarves and orcs/goblins live in the mountains, and as the latter races are by nature opportunists, it makes sense that they would consider it more expedient to oust dwarves and take over their well-made, long-lasting homes than go to the trouble of digging out their own cave-cities.

==Dwarven Religion==
Dwarven religion usually centers around implicit or explicit ancestor worship. Dwarf gods tend to exemplify what dwarves consider both the proper way to behave and the iconic virtues of their race. In D&D lore, the traditional leader of the dwarf gods is [[Moradin]] (or [[Reorx]], on Krynn); a gruff, no-nonsense creator-deity obsessed with making stuff and ensuring the multiverse is filled with creation.

Other deities tend to be subordinate to Moradin and usually a lot more forgettable, being just "dwarfy" takes on standard archetypes like the War God or the Love Goddess.

In [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], it was established that dwarves refer to their pantheon as the '''[[Morndinsamman]]'''.

An exception is in [[Forgotten Realms]] via the Mulhorandi (Egyptian) pantheon. There, the god Bes is the patron god of dwarves and is affable, personable, lucky, and has enormous genitals. Which is because he's a shameless rip-off of the Egyptian god Bes, who was a god of sex, happiness, music, dancing, partying, fertility, childbirth, and the protection of women and children, who was portrayed in religious as a dusky-skinned dwarf with a huge set of male sexual organs.

==Dwarves vs. Gnomes==
Casuals who stumble across [[Dungeons & Dragons]] may find themselves wondering why there are ''two'' races of mechanically adept artisic short hairy men in the game, the dwarves and the [[gnomes]]. Well, the answer is fairly simple.

See, in mythology, "dwarves" and dwarf-like beings cover a wide spectrum of critters. They're usually considered a kind of [[fey|faerie]], and thusly in many cultures, dwarves are depicted not as the stern, grim, magical craftsmen of [[Viking]] lore, but as surprisingly down-to-earth people, but possessed of many magical abilities. There are many stories of dwarves in European cultures weaving illusions and changing shapes and otherwise performing all manner of mystical feats. Now, [[Gygax]] and his buddies were big mythology buffs, and they knew these stories. But, at the same time, they were also huge [[Tolkien]] fans, and their vision for the prototype of D&D was to use the Tolkienian model for dwarves. So, in the end, they said "fuck it", and just brought the magical yet down to earth dwarves of Europe into D&D as gnomes, whilst dwarves in the Tolkien model were allowed to retain their name. And it has continued ever since out of tradition.

The highlight of this has to be found in [[Mystara]], the very first campaign setting of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. In this setting, originally, the dwarves were a people known as the Kogolor, who dwelled in cities they established on the mountains. Physically and mentally, they were more like the gnomes of the present day; outgoing, cheerful, talkative and gregarious. They had no particular resistance to magic or toxin, nor any great focus on craftsmanship, although they were (and remain) great brewers of liquor. During the Rain of Colorless Fire, their numbers began to drop rapidly, as the poisons released by the [[Blackmoor]] disaster devastated their number. An Immortal named [[Kagyar]] decided that he could use the dwarves to create a race to his design; one shaped to survive against future disasters of this scale. He took the hardiest of the Kogolor and made them tougher still, granting them resistance to magic and toxin. He filled their minds with an obsession to craft lasting works in stone and metal - things would survive the passage of time - and made them feel an instinctive yearning for the shelter of deep caves, that they would naturally gravitate towards homes that doubled as fallout shelters. He made them stubborn, conservative, and xenophobic, inclined to shun others and to cling to tradition above all else, that they would not stray from this mold. Satisfied with his work, he dubbed them "dwarves" and returned them to claim the mountains of Mystara, whilst the Kogolor he absent-mindedly swept away and discarded in the Hollow World. This did not sit particularly well with one of Kagyar's students, Garal Glitterlode - the prototype for [[Garl Glittergold]], himself an ascended Kogolor. Since his former people were gone, he recreated them, this time shaping them to be smaller and more flexible, to seek out shelter in forests as well as mountains, and thus were born the first gnomes, as a more "true to the original" descendant of the original Kogolor.

==Dwarven Subraces==
Though the dwarven concept is regarded as fairly homogenous, the truth is that dwarves do have some racial diversity - perhaps not so much as the [[elf]] or [[gnome]] races, but they've had their fair share of variant cultures and subraces over the years.

The most classic dwarf subraces are the '''Hill Dwarf''' and the '''Mountain Dwarf'''. Both adhere to the same basic outline established elsewhere on this thread. The difference is their choice of living habits and their personality.

''Hill Dwarves'' live in hill-country, and tend to live closer to the surface - or even on the surface - as well as being the most "wanderlusty" of the dwarven subraces; instead of staying cooped up in cavern homes all the time, hill dwarves have been known to travel regularly, either for work or just for the sake of seeing the sights! They are the most common dwarven subrace, and also the most diplomatic; they have the most contact with other [[demihuman]] races and so are the most friendly and open-minded of the dwarves. You know, by comparison. Hill dwarves tend to put comparatively less focus on mining, or occupy themselves with more "practical" mining pursuits - coal, iron, and copper. Smithcraft is usually more important, as they tend to make more money through trade.

''Mountain Dwarves'', as the name suggests, occupy the high mountainous regions of the world, where they accommodate the lack of horizontal terrain by burrowing into the cliffs and occupying completely subterranean homes. Mountain Dwarves are typically richer than hill dwarves, as their homes are better sources of gemstones and precious metals. Add in that their choice of landscape abounds in [[dragon]]s, [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s (amongst other monsters), and it makes sense that they tend to be both more professionally war-like and more suspicious of outsiders. Mountain dwarves often are (or at least claim to be) the "original" version of the dwarf race, and feuding with their hill dwarf cousins isn't unheard of. In fact, in the [[Dragonlance]] setting, the mountain/hill dwarf feuds are more bitter and bloody than the elf/dwarf feuds!

'''[[Duergar]]''' are the third of the "core" dwarf subraces. They're covered in more detail on their own page, but in a nutshell, they are the obligatory "evil [[Underdark]] subrace", the dwarven analogue to [[Drow]]. Notably the most psychic of the dwarves.

'''Deep Dwarves''' are a dwarven strain that has adapted to life in the [[Underdark]]. They're more or less the dwarf equivalent of [[Svirfneblin]]; they live down in the dark but they're not evil, just somewhat justifiably reclusive and xenophobic. Introduce in AD&D, the deep dwarves miraculously made it into 3e based solely on their presence in the [[Forgotten Realms]], but because they lack any cultural nuance beyond being "non-evil duergar", they never really caught on and have basically been forgotten ever since.

'''Sunderered Dwarves''' are a subrace introduced in [[The Complete Book of]] Dwarves, and are basically former clans of hill or mountain dwarves who have been forced to live exclusively on the surface after some catastrophic event chased them away. In fact they are now incapable of handling prolonged periods underground, suffering racially from claustrophobia, which compels them to inhabit surface settlements and often live alongside other races. You'd think that this would make them much more socially adept than other dwarves, but nope; they're just described as miserable, tortured creatures full of self-loathing. The idea was so badly handled that they never were revived.

'''[[Derro]]''' are another [[Underdark]]-dwelling species of short humanoids, who may or may not be part of the dwarf family tree; it depends on edition.

'''Arctic Dwarves''' (who call themselves "Innugaakalikurit") are, as the name suggests, a tundra dwelling dwarf subrace who have forsaken the traditional miner's lifestyle of their kin for a simpler life as hunter-gatherers. Described as short and squat even by dwarf standards, these white-haired dwarves favor the harpoon and the bow over the axe and the pick. They love to sunbathe, being impervious to both the cold and to the pain that should normally result when their skin turns red from an overexposure to the sun. This subrace was native to the [[Forgotten Realms]], and appeared in an AD&D [[splatbook]] relating to "The Great Glacier", but the concept of an arctic dwarf has been touched upon in a more setting neutral fashion in 3rd edition. In Eberron the '''Glacier Dwarves''', or "Toldun Nordorthak", are those who remained on the Frostfell and continued to adapt to it instead migrating south. They aren't given a stat block, but presumably are just the 3E Arctic Dwarves.

'''Wild Dwarves''' are another Faerunian subrace; primitive, jungle-dwelling tribals who pursue an almost feral existence in the tropical forests of Chult, and to the Mhair and Black Jungles. Wielding poisoned weapons and going about naked, they worship their own patron god, [[Thard Harr]] and do little other than hunt, mate and sleep. Introduced in "Dwarves Deep" for AD&D, their resemble to [[/pol/|pygmy stereotypes]] has made them increasingly uncomfortable to many players.

'''Chultan Dwarves''' are albino dwarves native to the jungles of Chult in the [[Forgotten Realms]], who first appeared in the splatbook "Jungles of Chult". Whilst they lack the abundant metal resources of their kin, they are not as primitive as their Wild Dwarf cousins. Based on their recent reappearance in 5e's [[Tomb of Annihilation]], where they were described as more primitive than they had been in AD&D, WoTC may be planning to make them subsume the "jungle dwarf" aspect from their Wild Dwarf cousins.

'''Desert Dwarves''' are another Faerunian dwarf subrace, consisting of stranded dwarves who have adapted to survive in the desert cliffs of [[Maztica]]. Aside from their darker skin, they're basically identical to normal dwarves, which has led to their being forgotten; 3e did touch upon the archetype with both Desert Dwarves in [[Unearthed Arcana]] and Badlands Dwarves in Sandstorm.

'''Gully Dwarves''' are the most infamous and hated of all the dwarf subraces. Originating from dwarves breeding with gnomes in the [[Dragonlance]] setting, they can be basically described as "what if dwarves had devolved to fill the role normally taken by [[goblin]]s?" Dirty, slovenly, stupid creatures, gully dwarves are regarded in-universe and out as an embarrassment, huddling in ruins or the trash-heaps of other races and grubbing out a meager existence on the leavings of other, greater peoples. The fact that they sound like they were written by a goddamn nazi geneticist is probably why they haven't been mentioned in recent editions.

'''[[Kogolor]]s''' (Or "Kogolor Dwarves") are technically the oldest dwarves in all of D&D; native to [[Mystara]], these dwarves are literally the ancestor species of the modern dwarf, and are much more like gnomes in behavior... which is fitting because they're also the ancestor of gnomes, too. Most notably, they lack the dwarven knack for craftsmanship - save in brewing beer, ale and wine - and are cheerful, outgoing, friendly and welcoming. Also, absurdly Alpine German, to the point of dressing in lederhosen and having a special proficiency in yodelling. Because of the Great Rain of Fire and the intervention of [[Kagyar]] the Artisan, they only survive in the [[Hollow World]], having been abandoned there after being replaced with "conventional" dwarves.

Though the above is pretty much the standard template for dwarves, some settings have shown some deviance from them... usually in the form of sub-races or offshoot clans.

===Elemental Dwarves===
Since the dawn of the game, the [[Element]]al Plane of Fire has been home to [[Azer]]s, who look like bronze-skinned dwarves with great flaming beards & hair. For most editions, they have been officially classified as "not dwarves", with Pathfinder describing them as a race of elemental constructs who just happen to look like dwarves (a step 5e basically stole). 4e, however, went and said "yes, they're dwarves; at the dawn of time, dwarves were slaves to giants (who're elementals) - the ones who didn't get away in time eventually became elementals themselves".

There's also the oft-forgotten Earth elemental the galeb duhr, who became a rock-elemental dwarf in 4e, the never-made-it-out-of-2e Urdunnir/Sonsannan (a gem-eating grey dwarf with innate earth walk, shape stone and shape metal at-will spell-like abilities) and the 4e-exclusive Eisk Jaat (ice dwarf).

[[Dragon Magazine]] #383 contains the rules for Forgeborn Dwarves, a dwarfin variant representing clans who didn't ''quite'' get away from the Giants in time. They basically took a racial feat that gave them resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire and Lightning damage and let them deal bonus elemental damage whenever they hit someone once per encounter.

==Unique Dwarven Strains==
For obvious reasons, this page has mostly talked about dwarves as depicted in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], which is the most widespread of /tg/ games and thus the most iconic depiction of dwarves. But, there are other games on /tg/ that have more unique depictions of dwarves...

The dwarves of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|have their own page]], but in a nutshell can be described as taking the D&D dwarf stereotype and cranking the knobs up a couple of notches. They are Grudge-obsessed, culturally unchanging, and absolutely racist fucks who only barely tolerate humans and hate every single other thing, especially each other when they have a reason, to varying degrees. They almost wiped themselves out just out of their inability to resolve conflicts such as those caused by an insult given by accident ten generations ago while a third invading force was on the march causing a three-way fight where the Dwarfs could only lose. But out of sheer tenacity and refusal to admit weakness or being wrong, they managed to make it to the [[End Times|death of the setting]] as a powerful force.

Their cousins, the evil [[Chaos Dwarfs]], force magic into their own bodies unnaturally (as Warhammer Dwarf bodies and minds resist and nullify magic) which slowly turns them to stone. They have an intense hatred of all other races, to the point of being like their kin with an even bigger Grudge. They are based on Mesopotamians, and the size and type of their hat is more important to them than a beard.

In [[Shadowrun]], the dwarven fondness for crafting and artisanship has led to them mostly abandoning old-fashioning smithing and turning to cybernetics and digital engineering - the iconic dwarf is a cybered-up hacker, not a warrior or a smith. Also, beards are basically unimportant to dwarves, but the males usually wear beards in order to stop humans from mistaking them for children.

In [[Castle Falkenstein]], dwarves are an all-male race of [[artificer]]s, who do the mining and smithing thing mostly to support their love of being mad scientist engineers. In fact, they used to be magical fairies, but they gave up their magic and their immortality (although they still live a long time) to be able to work with iron. They couldn't give two shits about their beards, are immune to fire and magic, are superhumanly strong, have goose-like feet (which they're very embarrassed about, so '''don't mention them'''), and reproduce by interbreeding with female fairies; sons are dwarves, daughters are fairies. Incidentally, this is why they tend to be so obsessed with making their mark on the world; this is the only way they can change their name to what they want, instead of being stuck with a typical fairy name like "Morningblossom" or "Buttercup". Also, rather than an axe, an angry dwarf will usually try and club you to death with a fuck-off-huge wrench.

In ''[[Wicked Fantasy]]'', they're called uvandir; don't call them dwarves if you value your kneecaps. They arrived in the Reign of Men along with the [[halfling|haffuns]] and [[gnome]]s when they popped through the wall of a mine shaft, having dug their way through the world to escape their alien masters. They integrated into human culture and improved on every human craft they encountered. They are immortal, tireless craftsmen who have no time for anything that isn't productive. They will suffer physically if they spend too much time ''not'' working, to the point of sitting down, lost in deep melancholy, until they literally turn to stone. The only thing that they'll do other than work is drink beer. The setting book sets aside a whole page for "THE UVANDIR LOVE BEER" in massive text. Uvandir miners don't just dig for precious stones and metals, they are also digging in search of sleeping brothers and their god.

==Dwarf PCs Throughout History==

===Basic D&D===
The BD&D Dwarf is essentially a [[Fighter]] (since back then every non-human race was a class) with a few special gimmicks. Requiring a base [[Constitution]] of 9 to qualify for, and treating Strength as its primary requisite, the BD&D Dwarf's main advantage over the standard fighter is its toughness; it has a d8 hit dice mechanic, and at Attack Rank G (1,400,000 XP) it halves all damage taken from spells and magical attacks (quartering it on a save). It also has infravision and a 1-in-3 chance to detect hidden/secret doors, traps or other stonework related details. It technically maxes out its level at level 12, but can keep gaining XP to increase its Attack Rank up to AR M

The [[Known World Gazetteers|Dwarves of Rockhome]] introduced a variant dwarf class, in the form of the Dwarf-[[Cleric]]; able to cast clerical magic, if not to the same potency as the human cleric... whilst also mandated to hide this ability from other races. Needless to say, if you weren't running an all-dwarf campaign or didn't have a DM who waived that bit of fluff, this made you all but unplayable. Yes, you were allowed to waive this rule if the party's survival depended on you revealing you can cast clerical magic, but let's be honest, a lot of DMs were willing to dick you over about this.

Mechanically, the dwarf-cleric functions as a sort of proto-prestige class. It follows all of the same rules as a standard dwarf, but requires an extra amount of XP to advance a level, and from 2nd level onwards gains access to clerical magic. This is tabled up below. Due to TSR's "one true wayism" approach to racial & class crunch 'n' fluff, dwarf-cleric PCs can only belong to [[Kagyar]], even though NPC dwarf-clerics of the Chaotic Immortals respected by dwarves do exist. For this reason, dwarf-clerics are... discouraged... from using Destruction type clerical spells, especially the Reversed form of appropriate spells (Inflict Wounds, Harm, Bane, etcetera). As in, if you use these abilities "too frequently" for the DM's liking, they are encouraged to slap you with everything from warning dreams of Kagyar's displeasure to a divine geas/quest to seek redemption, to just arbitrarily taking away your clerical powers '''permanently'''. Yeah, you got to deal with the same shit as the [[Paladin]], how nice is that?

Dwarf-clerics cannot raise members of any race except dwarves when they cast Raise Dead spells, and they cannot [[Turn Undead]]. They require [[Strength]] 9 and [[Wisdom]] 9 to qualify for the racial class, and treat these ability scores as primary requisites; dwarf-clerics need ''both'' Str and Wis to be 13+ for their +5% EXP boost, and they need Wisdom 16+ for their +10% EXP boost. Dwarf-clerics have access to all forms of armor, abut are culturally restricted to hammers and axes for weapons; they normally use the Character Hit Rolls table column for a [[Fighter]] when fighting with hammers & axes, but if they are forced to use some other weapon, they use the "normal" CHR table column instead. Unlike normal dwarves, dwarf-clerics only have a D6 hit dice, but they still use the Fighter's saving throw table. Their high level bonus traits are effectively identical to the standard dwarf, but they gain dwarven magic resistance at Attack Rank C.

::Level: Bonus EXP Required: Spells
::1: 0: 0
::2: 4,000: 1 First Level Spell
::3: 8,000: 2 First Level Spells
::4: 16,000: 2 First Level Spells, 1 Second Level Spell
::5: 32,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells
::6: 64,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 1 Third Level Spell
::7: 120,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells
::8: 250,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 1 Fourth Level Spell
::9: 400,000: 3 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells
::10: 600,000: 3 First Level Spells, 3 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells, 1 Fifth Level Spell
::11: 800,000: 4 First Level Spells, 3 Second Level Spells, 3 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells, 2 Fifth Level Spell
::12: 1,000,000: 4 First Level Spells, 4 Second Level Spells, 3 Third Level Spells, 3 Fourth Level Spells, 2 Fifth Level Spell, 1 Sixth Level Spell

{{D&D1e-Races}}

===Advanced D&D===
The dwarf PC first appeared in the AD&D [[Player's Handbook]], specifically with the classic subraces of Hill Dwarf and Mountain Dwarf. Rules would later be expanded upon with their own dedicated sourcebook, [[the Complete Book of]] Dwarves, which provided not only a collection of dwarfin cultural notes, but also dedicated dwarf [[kits]] and complete ability score writeups for the six extant dwarven subraces of the time; Mountain Dwarf, Hill Dwarf, Deep Dwarf (a non-evil [[Underdark]]-dwelling dwarf, which would be phased out in subsequent editions), Sundered Dwarf (surface-dwelling culturally shattered dwarves), Gully Dwarf (degenerate and stupid dwarf-kin originating from [[Dragonlance]]), and [[Duergar]].

::Dwarven Hardiness: All Dwarves receive a bonus to their saving throws against poison and magical attacks determined by their Constitution modifier; +1 for Con 4-6, +2 for Con 7-10, +3 for Con 11-13, +4 for Con 14-17, and +5 for Constitution 18-19.
::Racial Enmity: [[Ogre]]s, [[troll]]s, [[oni]], [[giant]]s and [[titan]]s suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls against dwarves. Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls made against [[orc]]s, [[half-orc]]s, [[goblin]]s and [[hobgoblin]]s.
::Magical Interference: When a dwarf attempts to use a magic item that is ''not'' either specifically intended for the dwarf's class or else a weapon, shield, armor, gauntlet or girdle, there is a 20% chance that it will instead dramatically fail. A check is made each time the dwarf attempts to use an item; if it fails one time, it may work the next, and vice-versa.
::Stonecunning: Dwarves are naturally adept at surviving underground, and can attempt to identify specific aspects of their environment by rolling a d6. A dwarf can detect the gradient or slope of a passage on a 1-5, detect new tunnels or other construction on a 1-5, identify sliding/shifting walls and rooms on a 1-4, locate stonework traps/pits/deadfalls on a 1-3, and estimate just how deep underground they are on a 1-3.
::Dwarves have a base movement rate of 6, and encumbrance affects their movement rate as follows: Light (None), Moderate (-1/3rd), Heavy (-1/2) and Severe (-2/3rds).

'''Hill Dwarf:'''
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/18, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/17
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 15, Priest 10, Thief 12
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Open Locks, +15% Find/Remove Traps, -10% Climb Walls, -5% Read Languages

'''Mountain Dwarf:'''
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/19, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/16
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 16, Priest 10, Thief 12
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Open Locks, +15% Find/Remove Traps, -10% Climb Walls, -5% Read Languages

'''Deep Dwarf:'''
::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/16, Constitution 13/19, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/15
::Infravision: 90 feet
::Special Advantage: +1 to the dwarven saving throw bonus against poison and magical attacks.
::Special Disadvantage: -1 penalty on attack rolls when within Sunlight or Continual Light spells.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 14, Priest 12, Thief 10
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +5% Pick Pockets, +10% Find/Remove Traps, +5% Hide In Shadows, -10% Climb Walls, -15% Read Languages

'''Sundered Dwarf:'''
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/18, Intelligence 3/16, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/16
::Infravision: 30 feet
::Special Disadvantage: Sundered Dwarves are Claustrophobic; they must successfully save vs. death in order to overcome their fear before they can enter any underground locale, be it a dungeon, cave or tomb. Furthermore, when underground, a sundered dwarf suffers a -2 penalty to its attack rolls. Each day they remain underground, they must make another save vs. death to master their claustrophobia; if they fail, then their attack penalty increases by -1 for each additional day spent underground. Once a sundered dwarf has panicked like this, the saving throw vs. death to try and master its claustrophobia takes a penalty equal to the attack roll penalty.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 14, Priest 10, Thief 15
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +5% Open Locks, +10% Find/Remove Traps, +5% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows, -10% Read Languages

'''Gully Dwarf:'''
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 6/18, Dexterity 6/18, Constitution 8/16, Intelligence 3/12, Wisdom 3/14, Charisma 3/12
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Special Advantage: Gully dwarves excel at the art of groveling, and can attempt to avoid being attacked by mock-fainting or putting on a pitiful display of pleading. All hostile creatures must succeed on a save vs. spells, with a penalty depending on the gully dwarf's level (-2 at level 5-8, -3 at level 9-12, -5 at level 13+) or be incapable of actually harming the gully dwarf, though they can still capture or otherwise restrain it.
::Special Disadvantage: Gully dwarves are legendarily stupid, and even if a gully dwarf PC is uncommonly smart for its kind, it should still be portrayed as a dimwitted simpleton. Additionally, gully dwarves are so wretched that magic items have a 40% chance of failing to work for them, rather than the normal 20% chance.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 8, Priest 8, Thief 16
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Pick Pockets, -5% Open Locks, +5% Find/Remove Traps, -5% Hide In Shadows, -5% Climb Walls, -25% Read Languages

'''Innugaakalikurit''' (aka '''"Faerunian Arctic Dwarf"'''):
Whilst not presented in the Complete Book of Dwarves, the Innugaakalikurit did receive a brief PC writeup in "The Great Glacier", a guide to the pseudo-Arctic Circle region of the [[Forgotten Realms]] released for AD&D.
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 14/18, Dexterity 3/16, Constitution 13/18, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/14
::Special Advantage: Arctic Dwarves are Immune to Cold, including magically generated cold such as spells or the breath of [[Chromatic Dragon|White Dragons]].
::Class/Level Limits: [[Fighter]] Unlimited, [[Ranger]] 8, [[Rogue|Thief]] 8

{{D&D2e-Races}}

===3rd Edition===
In 3.5, dwarves changed a little from their 3.0 selves, mostly in the form of tightening up their rules, but the end-result was fundamentally the same.

::+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
::Humanoid (Dwarf)
::Medium
::Base Speed 20 feet, but ignore the movement penalties from medium & heavy armor and loads
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a [[rogue]] can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
::Weapon Familiarity: Dwarven Waraxes and Urgoshes count as Martial Weapons for a dwarf, rather than Exotic Weapons.
::Stability: +4 racial bonus on checks made to resist being Bull Rushed or Tripped when standing on solid ground.
::+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like effects.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s.
::+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the [[Giant]] type.
::+2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft checks relating to stone or metal.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Fighter]]

After humans (who are considered the best race in the entire game, or at least the top 5), dwarves are likely the most powerful PHB race, though this isn't much of a challenge since the other PHB races are very weak. Their defensive (and search) bonuses are universally good and only 3 classes even care about losing charisma (and Cleric doesn't care all THAT much). Their bonus on search applies almost always, since underground caves and buildings constructed of stones are the vast majority of adventure locations. Aside from the obvious melee classes dwarves, unusually enough, make for good [[Rogue]]s. Their defensive abilities offset how squishy rogues are, and aside from half-orcs (which are terrible) the only PHB race with darkvision, which is invaluable for sneaking around in the dark and (more importantly) get around the rule oddity that rogues can't use sneak attack in darkness without it.

The above stats applies to both Hill Dwarves and Mountain Dwarves equally. However, myriad dwarven subraces exist in 3.5, and they all tweak the formula in some way.

'''Aquatic Dwarves''' were underwater-dwelling versions of the dwarf introduced in the 3e [[Unearthed Arcana]] sourcebook. In addition to the normal dwarven statblock, they gain +2 Strength, suffer -4 Dexterity, and possess the Aquatic subtype, the Water-Breather racial trait (breathe water instead of air, can survive out of 2 rounds per Constitution point before starting to suffocate), a Swim speed of 20 feet, the ability to "run" whilst swimming, +8 racial bonus on Swim checks and the ability to Take 10 when swimming.

'''Arctic Dwarves''', also from the 3e Unearthed Arcana, gain +2 Strength and suffer -4 Dexterity in addition to the normal dwarf modifiers, and tweak their statblock in various ways. Their racial attack bonus is against ''[[kobold]]s'' and goblinoids instead of orcs & goblinoids, they also apply their Appraise & Craft check bonus to ice, they have the Cold Endurance trait (+4 racial bonus on Fort checks against cold and exposure), and the Icecunning trait, which is literally "Stonecunning but with Ice". This is a generic version of the arctic dwarf, and not based on the original Innugaakalikurit, who hail from the [[Forgotten Realms]].

'''Badlands Dwarves''' are a version of dwarf that has adapted to life in the hot, barren badland regions - essentially a more focused and arguably better designed version of the Desert Dwarf from Unearthed Arcana. These guys appeared in the Sandstorm splatbook, and mostly change their racial traits; they lose Stonecunning and gain Waterwise, which is essentially Stonecunning but for finding water and water conduits, and lose their Appraise & Craft bonuses in favor of Heat Endurance and the ability to go for 2 days + Constitution score hours before thirst starts affecting them.

'''Deep Dwarves''', the non-evil [[Underdark]] dwarves mentioned above, appeared in the 3.5 [[Monster Manual]], and have the most meager changes of any dwarven subrace; their resistance to poison and magic increases to +3, their Darkvision increases to 90 feet, and they gain the Light Sensitivity trait.

'''Desert Dwarves''' are another of the many "environmental variant" subraces to appear in 3e's [[Unearthed Arcana]]. These dwarves trade their Charisma penalty for a -2 penalty to Dexterity, lose Stonecunning, change the target of their racial attack bonus from orcs & goblinoids to reptilian humanoids & dragons, change the target of their racial defense bonus from giants to dragons, change their bonus to Craft checks for a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Architecture, Engineering & Dungeoneering) and Profession (Miner), and gain the Heat Endurance trait.

'''Dream Dwarves''' are a mystical, sagely dwarven subrace introduced in Races of Stone. These dwarves lack the inherent craftsmanship or warlike skills of their kin, but are valued for their innate magical powers and spiritual connection to the earth. Dream Dwarves trade their -2 Charisma for -2 Dexterity, increase their Darkvision to 90 feet, and trade their racial saving bonuses, Craft bonus, Appraise bonus, attack roll bonus and dodge bonus for +1 Caster Level with Divination type spells, a +1 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks against Earth subtype creatures, and the ability to see ethereal creatures at will. Additionally, their favored class is [[Druid]] rather than fighter.

'''Frost Dwarves''', introduced in the Planar Handbook, are a race of [[planetouched]] dwarves native to the icy layers of the [[Abyss]]. The ability modifiers for these dwarves is +4 Constitution, -4 Charisma, they gain the Extraplanar subtype, their Darkvision increases to 120 feet, and they gain Cold Resistance 10, +4 to Move Silently checks, Light Sensitivity, and the ability to cast Chill Touch and Obscuring Mist 1/day each at Charater Level +2 (minimum of 3rd). Needless to say, these dwarves get a [[Level Adjustment]] of +1.

'''Earth Dwarves''' are, as the name suggests, [[planetouched]] dwarves with earth elemental ancestry, and are yet another Unearthed Arcana variant. They get +2 Strength and -2 Dexterity on top of the normal dwarf ability modifiers, their Stonecunning modifier is +4, their Stability modifier is +8, they change the target of their racial attack bonus from orcs & goblinoids to creatures with the Air subtype, their Appraise & Craft bonuses increase to +4, and their racial saving bonus against spells is replaced with a -2 racial penalty on saving throws vs spells, spell-like abilities or supernatural abilitys that either have the Air subtype or come from a creature with the Air subtype.

'''Glacier Dwarves''' are, like Badlands Dwarves, a second attempt at an environmental based dwarven subrace in the wake of those done by Unearthed Arcana. They're closer to the Innugaakalikurit than the Arctice Dwarves are, but still not a perfect conversion. Appearing in the Frostburn sourcebook, Glacier Dwarves replace Stonecunning with Icecunning (same thing, but using ice instead of stone), change their Appraise & Craft bonuses to applying to ice, snow & other frostfell materials, trade their save bonus vs. poison for a +2 racial bonus on saves vs. cold damage & cold-based effects, can comfortably survive in conditions ranging from "severe cold" to "hot" without needing a Fortitude save, and are always considered to have the Cold Endurance feat in order to meet prerequisites for feats & prestige classes.

'''Gold Dwarves''' appeared in the [[Dungeon Master's Guide]], and represent either dwarves at the very height of their power, the ancestral form of dwarves, or some other form of deep-dwelling dwarf-kin. The only real changes they make are suffering -2 Dexterity intead of -2 Charisma, and changing their attack roll bonus target to [[aberration]]s instead of orcs & goblinoids.

'''Jungle Dwarves''' are the last of the environmental variants introduced in Unearthed Arcana. These dwarves lose Stonecunning, downgrade their Darkvision to Low-light Vision, trade their Craft bonus for a +2 racial bonus on Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Spot & Survival checks, and switch their favored class from Fighter to [[Ranger]].

'''Seacliff Dwarves''' are coastal dwarves introduced in the Stormwrack sourcebook, and are essentially an alternative to Aquatic Dwarves, like the Badlands & Glacier Dwarves before them. These dwarves lose their racial attack roll bonus and instead gain the Strong Swimmer racial trait; +2 racial bonus on Swim checks and the ability to hold their breath for twice their Constitution score.

'''Innugaakalikurit''', or Faerunian Arctic Dwarves, appeared in the Races of Faerun sourcebook. These have the normal abilities of a dwarf, even though their traditional lore says they shouldn't have Stonecunning, but their ability scores are +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution and -2 Charisma, they are Small instead of Medium, they are Immune To Cold, their Favored Class is Ranger, and they have a [[Level Adjustment]] of +2.

'''Urdunnir''' are [[Planetouched]], or at least very magical, dwarves native to the [[Forgotten Realms]]. Presented as a PC race in Races of Faerun, Urdunnir have all the normal dwarven racial abilities, but their saving throw bonus against Poison is increased to +4, they have the Stone Walk supernatural ability, can cast Stone Shape and Shape Metal, both at-will and with the power of an 8th level sorcerer, their favored class is Expert, and their Level Adjustment is +4.

'''Wild Dwarves''' are feral dwarves native to the tropical jungles of Chult in the [[Forgotten Realms]] and appeared in Races of Faerun alongside the Innugaakalikurit and the Urdunnir. These dwarves are Small, are affected by medium/heavy armor & loads, replace the standard dwarven weapon familiarity trait with free prociency in the handgun and blowgun, have the Poison Use trait, have Fire Resistance 5, have a +3 bonus to saves against poison, are immune to Wild Dwarf Knockout Poison, have a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against disease, lack the Stonecunning trait and the bonuses to Appraise and Craft, and their Favored Class is [[Barbarian]].

===Pathfinder===
[[Pathfinder]], for obvious reasons, mostly used the 3.5 version of the dwarf, but tweaked it. Since it was the second most powerful anyways and had a lot of features, it didn't really get much new stuff compared to the other races. Past the core rules, Pathfinder introduced the idea of variant racial traits you could swap in for more unusual versions of the dwarf. As a core race, these alternate traits are everywhere; the Advanced Race Guide, Inner Sea Races, even Horror Adventurers had a few dwarfin variant abilities. Compared to the other core races, Dwarves didn't get much variety here though they do get the ability to make their Defensive Training/Hatred abilities work on a few different monsters.

::+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
::Medium
::Slow & Steady: Base speed is 20 feet, but medium/heavy armor and loads don't affect this speed.
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Defensive Training: +4 Dodge bonus to AC against Giants.
::Greed: +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
::Hatred: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against Orcs and [[Goblinoid]]s.
::Hardy: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells and spell-like abilities.
::Stability: +4 racial bonus to Combat Maneuver Defense against Bull Rush and Trip when standing on solid ground.
::Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus on Perception checks made to notice unusual stonework, and can make a check to notice such things whenever they pass within 10 feet of them.
::Weapon Familiarity: Proficient with Battleaxe, Heavy Pick and Warhammer, treat any weapon with "Dwarven" in its name as a Martial Weapon.

The main additions were an extra ability score boost (standard for PF races), some free martial weapons (even better for a medium BAB class not proficient with martial weapons) and better "Dwarven" exotic weapons (Dwarven Longhammer is a greatsword with bludgeoning damage and reach, taking a good weapon and making it better.). With these boosts Dwarves make even better Clerics and Rogues than they did in 3E. Dwarves make natural [[Warpriest]], since that uses charisma even less than a cleric.

A survey of Pathfinder characters determined Dwarves were the 6th most popular race in the game (losing to Human, Half-Elf, Elf, [[Half-Orc]] and the non-core [[Tiefling]]). Dwarves mostly fall so low since Half-Orc is now a viable race for most beatstick classes as well and they split the non-human beatstick percentage. Naturally Dwarf Clerics and Warpriests are exceptionally common. Weirdly Dwarves are popular fighters even though fighters already get the ability to wear heavy armor without speed penalty. Despite making excellent [[Druid]]s, Dwarf druids are exceptionally rare.

{{Pathfinder-Races}}
{{Starfinder-Races}}

===4th Edition===
Iconic, well-defined, and readily adapted, the dwarf took pride of place in the very first Player's Handbook, where they were the second PC race option only because [[Dragonborn]] alphabetically precedes them. This version of the dwarf didn't have the flashy racial powers that most other races of the edition had, but emphasized its traditional strengths with lots of racial traits, which made them one of the hardiest races in the game, and yet also surprisingly good at being [[Cleric]]s, [[Shaman]]s and [[Druid]]s.

::Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom (or +2 Strength, post Essentials Update)
::Size: Medium
::Speed: 5 squares (25 feet)
::Vision: Low-Light
::Skill Bonuses: +2 Dungeoneering, +2 Endurance
::Cast-Iron Stomach: +5 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
::Dwarven Resilience: Triggering 2nd Wind only costs you a minor action.
::Dwarven Weapon Proficiency: You have proficiency with the throwing hammer and the warhammer.
::Encumbered Speed: You ignore the normal movement penalties caused by armor or carrying a heavy load.
::Stand Your Ground: You can choose to reduce the effects of all forced movements (pull, push, slide) by -1 square; this can negate an effect that would normally only move you 1 square. Additionally, you can immediately make saving throws against attacks that would knock you prone.

4e also introduced the concept of subraces in two different ways.

[[Dragon Magazine]] #383 introduced the ''Forgeborn'' subrace for dwarves, representing dwarves whose ancestors hadn't been freed from their slavery to the [[Archomental|Primordials]] before elemental energy had contaminated them, turning them into essentially the dwarven equivalent of [[genasi]]. This version of a subrace took advantage of the plethora of feats that 4e characters received. A forgeborn dwarf was defined by taking a normal dwarf and then taking the ''Forgeborn Heritage'' feat; this gave them the Elemental Legacy racial power (1/encounter, when you hit an enemy with an attack, inflict +3/tier Acid, Cold, Fire or Lighting damage - your choice of which element) as well as minor resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire and Lightning damage simultaneously. Not much - 2 points of damage resistance, increasing to DR 3 at 11th level and to DR 5 at 21st level.

Of course, the racial feat ''Iron Hide Resilience'' boosted this damage resistance to 5 points per character tier; still inferior to the fire resistance of [[tiefling]]s or the cold resistance of winterkin [[eladrin]], but hey, you're getting '''four''' types of damage resistance for the price of two feats; don't get greedy!

Other forgeborn feats include ''Ancestral Wrath'' (+1 speed when bloodied), ''Keen Hatred'' (using Elemental Legacy grants a +2 bonus to your next attack roll), ''Wrathful Legacy'' (Elemental Legacy recharges the first time you are bloodied), ''Improved Legacy'' (boosted damage with Elemental Legacy) and ''Wrathful Resurgence'' (gain temporary hitpoints when you use 2nd Wind).

The forgeborn also have a racial [[Paragon Path]] in the ''Fireforged Champion'', which is very focused on withstanding and dishing out fire damage - very reminiscent of the [[azer]]s.

The [[Neverwinter]] campaign setting was much simpler, instead presenting alternate racial traits that a dwarf could simply "swap in" that represented the Gold and Shield Dwarves of the [[Forgotten Realms]].
'''Gold Dwarf Alternate Traits'''
::Replace Cast-Iron Stomach with Cast-Iron Mind (+5 racial bonus to saves against ongoing psychic damage)
::Replace Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with Gold Dwarf Weapon Proficiency (War Pick and the Maul)
'''Shield Dwarf Alternate Features'''
::Replace Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with either Dwarven Weapon Proficiency (Axe and Battleaxe) or Shield Proficiency (Light Shield)

{{D&D4e-Races}}

===5th Edition===
Your trusty dwarf, of course, once again appeared in the [[Player's Handbook]], with the Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf subraces. The [[Forgotten Realms|Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]] added the [[Duergar]] subrace as well.

* Ability Score: +2 Constitution
* Typical Alignment: Favor Lawful Good.
* Size: Medium. Listed as being between 4 and 5 feet tall, and average 150 pounds.
* Speed: 25 feet
* Darkvision
* Dwarven Resilience: Advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance against poison damage.
* Dwarven Combat Training: Proficiency with Battleaxe, Handaxe, Light Hammer, and, of course, Warhammer.
* Free tool proficiency with choice of smith's, brewer's or mason's tools.
* Stonecunning: Double Proficiency bonus when making history checks on the origin of stonework.
* Languages: Common and Dwarvish.

Of course, subraces get their own bonuses.

'''Hill Dwarf'''
* Ability Score: +1 Wisdom
* Dwarven Toughness: Free +1 max hp every level.

'''Mountain Dwarf'''
* Ability Score: +2 Strength (only subrace which allows you to start with two +2 bonuses)
* Dwarven Armor Training: Free Proficiency with Light and Medium Armor.

The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide also gave info on the Duergar subrace, the dour, evil cousins of the dwarves that inhabit the Underdark.

'''Duergar'''
* Ability Score: +1 Strength
* Superior Darkvision (120 feet max instead of plain Darkvision's 60 feet)
* Duergar Resilience: Advantage on saves against illusions and being charmed or paralyzed.
* Duergar Magic: Free Enlarge/Reduce at 3rd level, and free Invisibility at 5th level, but has an interesting limitation: they cannot be cast when you are in direct sunlight. The spells still work while you're in sunlight if you cast them somewhere else, but while you're in the sun, nada. Both spells recharge on a long rest, and use Intelligence as their spellcasting Modifier.
* Sunlight Sensitivity: Disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you're trying to perceive, is in direct sunlight.

{{D&D5e-Races}}

====Arkadian Dwarf====
The [[Dwarves]] of the world of [[Arkadia]] believe they were forged by [[Erebos]], the God of Fire and Craftsmanship, from the stone and bronze of Kor Erebos, the volcano that is their ancestral homeland. Whilst there is a passing implication that the traditional dwarven subraces of Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf exist in Arkadia, the race is primarily divided between two unique subraces, with all of the lore being lavished upon them.

'''Volcano Dwarves''' are the original form of the race, although they have spread from their fiery mountain homelands and now tend to smithies and shops throughout the great city-states; whilst the smith-priests of Erebos work bronze and even [[orichalcum]] in Kor Erebos, lesser volcano dwarves can be found working with metal, jewelry and glass wherever there is a market for such things. They make crystal glass and beaten lead funeral masks in Crixos; jewelry in Corinth; and rams, nails, and all the tools needed to furnish Ithean ships. Their most common work, however, is found in Kryta and Hyperium, where the bronze of their swords and spears and armor is prized above all others. Volcano dwarves have relatively light complexions, but are typically seared into permanent partial tans by the molten metal and stone with which they work. Their hair and beards, black or reddish brown, is worn in matted locks. They cap these coils in heavy beads of gold, bronze, or mountain glass. They trade with humans for royal colors of cloth and adorn themselves with thick rings and armbands, set with wide stones. In their native environment, volcano dwarves burrow into the deepest depths of the earth, tapping magma for heat, light, and raw minerals with which to work. Weirdly, it is stated that volcano dwarves are a "mysterious", "secretive" and "reclusive" folk, withdrawn from the daily life of other races. This then might explain the discrepancy noted above; it is possible that mountain and hill dwarves are considered volcano dwarves by culture, but "mountain" dwarves represent the warrior-clans, and "hill" dwarves represent those volcano dwarves who trade with humans or who have integrated into surface life.

'''Field Dwarves''' fill much the same role in Arkadia that [[halfling]]s fill elsewhere in the multiverse. Reputedly created when [[Phaedrus]], the God of Fae and Wilderness, lured away a portion of the dwarven race from their volcanic homes, these dwarves have become a simple folk who cherish wine, and growing things, and rich, dark earth. Forsaking metal and glass, field dwarves instead concern themselves with the shaping of clay and stone, or the cultivation of crops. The majority of the race live in the countryside as simple farmers, growing bounties of grapes, olives and other foodstuffs; those who have moved into the cities focus instead on masonry, pottery and sculpture. They are darker skinned and less ostentatious than their elder cousins, preferring loose hair and simple clothes in which they are comfortable.

The two races don't really like each other all that much. Volcano dwarves look down on field dwarves as lazy and unskilled, claiming they have forgotten their purpose in the world and are too addicted to the dark drink of wine. Field dwarves, in turn, think their volcano-dwelling cousins are stiff-necked stick-in-the-muds who need to loosen up and get over themselves.

Regardless of subrace, all Arkadian dwarves consider themselves Arkadians by blood if not by race, and thusly feel a strong kinship to the [[human]]s with whom they share their world.

Arkadian Dwarves have a unique take on the 5e dwarven core racial statblock: whilst it's mostly identical, it replaces Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with the following:
::Arkadian Dwarven Weapon Proficiency: You are Proficient with the Sling, the (Bronze) Mace, the (Bronze) Sword and the (Bronze) Shortsword.

'''Volcano Dwarves''' have the following subrace traits:
::Added Tool Proficiency: You are Proficient with your choice of either Glassblower's Tools or Jeweler's Tools.
::Erebos' Gift: As a light activity during a long rest you may hone one simple or martial weapon. At the end of the long rest, the object becomes a magic item, if it is not already, granting a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls in addition to the weapon’s other effects. The weapon retains these benefits until you use this feature again. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

'''Field Dwarves''' have the following subrace traits:
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
::Phaedrus' Gift: You may use your action to cause 4d4 magical grapes to grow from the soil at your feet. A creature can use its action to eat one or more of these grapes. Eating a grape restores 1 hit point, and the grape provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. You must finish a long rest before using this ability again. The grapes lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the use of this ability. The number of grapes created increases to 8d4 at 11th level and 16d4 at 17th level.

====Farlandish Dwarf====
In the [[World of Farland]], some tweaks are made to the standard 5e dwarf. Most notably, Stonecunning is not a core racial trait for the Farlandish dwarf, and they have the unique subraces of '''Khazak''' and '''Dwamok''' dwarves.

'''Khazak''' dwarves, whose name means "High Folk", are the "pureblood" dwarf subrace of Farland, and analogous to the Mountain Dwarves of core 5e. These are the only dwarves with the Stonecunning trait, and they also gain +1 Strength and the unique racial trait ''Magic Resistance'', which gives them Advantage on saving throws against spells of one school of magic, set at character creation.

'''Dwamok''', or "Shieldfolk", are the Farlandish equivalent of Hill Dwarves. They gain +1 Wisdom and the Hill Dwarf's Dwarven Toughness trait, but also have the unique racial trait of ''Stable'', which grants them Advantage on checks made to resist being pushed and knocked prone, and lets them reduce the distance of involuntary movement effects they are subjected to by -5 feet.

"War of the Immortals" also introduces two historical dwarven subraces. '''Kibil-Gunders''' are the "ur-dwarf" stock, the original dwarven strain who lived in and around active volcanoes. They gain +1 Strength, the Dwarven Armor Training and Stonecunning traits, and the Heat Resistance trait (Advantage on saves against Fire damage, Advantage on Constitution checks against natural heat). '''Shieldfolk''' are, despite the shared name, the ancestral stock of the Dwamoks from the modern era, and so they trade the Stable Trait for free Proficiency with either Insight or Perception.

====Scarnish Dwarf====
Dwarves of [[Scarred Lands|Scarn]] are largely the same as the core 5E dwarf, just with Dwarven Armor Training and Dwarven Weapon Training switching places. The Player's Guide introduces the Kelder and [[Charduni]] dwarves, with Yugman's Guide to Ghelspad adding the Broadreach dwarves.

'''Kelder''' or Mountain Dwarves are native to Ghelspad and most make their home in the Kelder Mountains. They gain +1 Wisdom, Dwarven Weapon Training, and the ''Steadfast'' trait, which gives them advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

'''Charduni''' originate from Termana, and came to Ghelspad to expand their tyrannical empire. If the name didn't spell it out, they worship [[Chardun]] almost exclusively. They gain +1 Strength, Dense Flesh, which is just renamed Dwarven Toughness, and ''Charduni Combat Training'', which gives them proficiency with the light hammer, warhammer, warscepter, and the spiked chain.

'''Broadreach''' or Wood Dwarves are descended from Kelder Dwarves that escaped from slavery in Glivid-Autel to the Hornsaw Forest where they settled to live alongside the local elves. They gain +1 Dexterity, replace Stonecunning with ''Woodcunning'', gain advantage when examining woodwork, and the ''Keen Senses'' trait, which gives them proficiency in Perception.

====Vodarian Dwarf====
The swashbuckling [[pirate]]-themed setting of [[Seas of Vodari]] is home to not only the standard Hill and Mountain Dwarves of 5e, but also a unique subrace; the '''Aurirn''', or '''Sea Dwarves'''. They descend from clans of dwarves who were ambitious or crazy enough to try and mine the unique metals seeping from a volcanic crack in the seafloor, where exposure to magical radiation mixed with dwarven stubbornness mutated them into an amphibious race capable of surviving underwater on their own. They're still part of dwarven society, but have grown somewhat more reclusive... but they're so stinking rich that even the most grizzled of traditional dwarves is forced to accept the scaly-skinned, web-digited water-breathing freaks, and many honor them for the sheer dedication it took to pull off so crazy a stunt as to set up underwater mines in the first place.

A sea dwarf has the standard 5e dwarf core racial traits and these unique subrace traits:
::Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
::From the Depths. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water. You ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
::Fireborn. Adapted to living along the boiling cracks of the seafloor, you have resistance to fire damage.

==Dwarf Fortress==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This is how Dwarves appear in [[Dwarf Fortress]].
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===Dwarven Physiology===
[[Image:KHALID_OAKDICK.jpg|KHALID OAKDICK, BEARDKING OF THE KINGBEARD CLAN!|300px|thumb|right]]
Dwarves typically consist of seventeen main organs: The beard (yes, female dwarves have these too), the boozehole, the gratuitous Celtic accent, 13 livers and an axe. Many outsiders erroneously dismiss a dwarf's axe as an implement of the most common trade, but recent experiments probing into dwarven society (and consuming dwarven booze) have revealed that it is in fact a rare biological example of a fully detachable organ.

The beard is used primarily for attracting mates, and probably something to do with converting argon gas into vitamin C. I mean, these guys live on mead and rocks, so they gotta get antioxidants somehow, right? We'll just go with that. The only notable thing to remember about dwarf beards is that when a pansy human and a dwarf argue over whether or not shaved chicks are better, they're probably not on the same page. The thirteen livers do the same thing as a human liver, just thirteen times better (equaling 169 times the alcohol). Maybe other shit, too, but dwarves don't have time for boring biology crap. Moving on. Boozeholes are for booze. There's other shit you can throw in there too, but those things mostly just act like a sponge, hampering the booze-absorption process. If a particularly whiny dwarf feels the need to "not starve to death," he can fill his empty boozehole with some nice non-porous rocks, or maybe a stack of five wine and rendered fat biscuits if he's really desperate. The accent is used for interrace relations, since dorfs typically spice up their sentences with foul swears and oaths the incomprehensibility of the accent is the only reason a dorf-notdorf alliance was ever made.

===Dwarven Mating Practices===
The dwarven male touches the female and promptly impregnate them. She then immediately falls in love with the dwarf male (love was originally something created for record keeping but has evolved into the ability to share one's room) and has a baby nine months later. Then the baby dies on a goblin's -copper spear-

Dwarfs do not [[half-dwarf|interbreed]] with the other races. Dwarf sperm is too corrosive to fertilize any woman that doesn't have +4 save vs. poison, and dwarven wombs don't even acknowledge the weak spoor of even the most fecund of human gigolos. The only [[half-dwarf]] is a bisected dwarf, likely from an unfortunate axeident.

===Dwarven Society===
Dwarven cities, called "fortresses", are underground. Now, we're not talking nice little hillside retreats full of plenty of free cake and fat, chain-smoking midgets. I'm looking at you, "Ring Bearer." No, dwarves live in mountains they carve out themselves with their bare fucking hands. I kid you not. Those *copper picks* are purely status symbols.

Your average dwarf spends his free time wishing he had more to do or, ideally, has no free time. If a dwarf ain't busy building something huge, epically awesome and dwarfy, he ain't happy. Idleness in dwarves has been medically proven to result in depression, erectile dysfunction, chronic sobriety, facial pattern baldness and [[elves|pointy ears]].

Other honorable pursuits among dwarves include digging, metalworking, stoneworking, brewing booze, killing goblins, killing kobolds, thinking of new ways to kill giants, tragically neglecting safety protocol when visited by elven liaisons, swindling gullible elves and humans, and drinking contests.

Dwarven politics are a funny thing, even if they are obviously superior to all that sissy tall people "let's talk about our problems" bullshit. Upon visiting a [[Dwarf Fortress|dwarven stronghold]], you will notice a perhaps disproportionate number of dwarves running around draped in purple velvet and pimpin' bling. Absolutely fucking useless.

No, if you want to find the guy in charge, whip out your measuring stick, 'cause the largest beard you come across is likely attached to the boozehole giving the orders. The owners of these beautiful, shaggy neck blankets often go for bonus points by decking out their beards with thick braids and two-ton cast iron phallic symbols and whatever else their presumably dwarfy square jaws can support. If you need a question answered, these are the guys who'll tell you "no, fuck you, we're doing it my way."

===Dwarven Religion===
[[File:Ironbeard_dwarfbreath.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Dwarves will build elaborate floodgates and use them as weapons, even as their clothes rot from their bodies.]]
In a time before time, the god of blood ([[Khorne|no, not that one... at least probably not]]) created the universe on a colossal anvil, and then molded the first dwarves with earth, blood, and magma. He also molded the other races out of mud and dust, but he was less than pleased with them. Then He sat back, and as the universe grew older and more peaceful, He grew bored.

He called his children around Him, and said. "Dwarves. This universe grows boring. I will remake it on the forge of creation, unless it becomes less boring"

The dwarves were obviously terrified. And then Urist, the firstborn and the bravest of them, had an idea. He asked His god how could they possibly make the universe less boring for Him.

So He gave His chosen people, the dwarves, their holy mission: to make this world a world of everlasting conflict, so He may escape divine boredom. He gave them their tools of war : the axe, the hammer, the floodgate and the lever, so they may shed blood and magma in His name.

Dwarves worship the stone and earth that surrounds them. Each strike of the pick is a psalm, and each tunnel is a sacrament, and the miner is the dwarves's priest.

Dwarves worship the fiery magma that they were made of. Magma is a purifying force and therefore they pour it on [[elf|elves]], kobolds, goblins and other less worthy creatures.

Dwarves also worship blood, as one of the elements of life, and shed the blood of lesser creatures because it pleases Him, else the universe will be set upon the anvil of creation to be reforged.

Everything a dwarf does is to please their god of blood.

The song of the pick and of the battle axe is music to His ears. The magma-charred corpse of an elf is food to His hunger. The spilled lifeblood of goblins is drink for His insatiable thirst.

PRAISE ARMOK! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
</div></div>

==Eberron==
Dwarves of [[Eberron]] were [[Frost Dwarf|originally from the Frostfell (north pole)]] before moving south. They control the world's banking due to House Kundarak's Mark of Warding enhancing security and the vast mineral wealth of their homeland. Otherwise the Dwarves of Eberron don't differ too much from the norm.

One [[RPGA]] module has a scholar with the theory that, unlike the rest of Eberron's races, Dwarves were not formed from Eberron, but from [[Dragon Gods|Khyber]] and reforged by [[Dragon Gods|Eberron]] to fight other creations of Khyber. This scholar posits that the short, muscular frame of the Dwarves was to allow them to fight Khyber's other creations (fiends) in [[Underdark|Khyber]]. The text of the module explicitly says this may or may not be true.

==Magic the Gatherering==
Oddly enough, while Human, [[Elf]], and [[Goblin]] are all common, well defined creature types, Dwarfs are quite rare in [[Magic: The Gathering]]. Dwarfs have no solid theme and virtually no tribal effects (4, one of which isn't a Dwarf, compared to 64 Dwarf cards) either. Virtually all dwarfs come from early sets, [[Kaladesh]] or [[Shadowmoor|Eventide]]. They are (with the exception of one wizard and two Black vampires) all Red and/or (more commonly now) White. Why they were ever Red in the first place is unclear, since Dwarfs are traditionally the opposite of every single part of Red: Defensive, emotionally restrained, patient, traditionally minded and disinclined to raw offensive magic. Possibly because Dwarfs are associated with mountains, which are, of course, the Red mana producing land. Dwarves do show up once in one of the novels, where they help Urza's Coalition fight the Phyrexians, primarily by giant tunneling machines.

==Historical Comparison==
On the whole Dwarves across fiction tend to have the following tendencies...

* Are typically employed in metal related artisanry rather than as agricultural workers
** Additionally in fantasy settings with technology on higher level (warhammer fantasy is a good example) Dwarves are typically the ones with the most advanced. If any one has gun powder, they do.
* Tend to live in tightly-knit relatively insular communities and have interconnected extended families.
* Despite that, these communities work in conjunction and are dependent on other peoples (ale is made from barley, which - like all plants - tends not to grow well at the bottom of a mine without sunlight) which generally outnumber them, trading their metalworks and other products in exchange for food.
* While they can speak the languages of others that surround them quite well, they usually use their own language amongst themselves
* Are conservative (in that their society is the way that they like it, thank you very much, and seldom change it, if ever)
* Tend to put a great amount of emphasis on the written word
* Often have their communities come under assault by [[Orc|stupid brutish morons]]
* Grow long beards (depending on the universe, women included)
* Generally are a declining race having suffered some disaster at their golden age and are slowly dying off.

As such, if one thinks in terms of historical analogues, Dwarves come across as early Germanics, Australians and, in a more [[Tolkien]]-influenced work, Jews. Tolkien said that his "dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic." The comparison was largely a stylistic choice - semitic languages are quite different in structure from Indo-European languages (being a linguist, he put a lot of thought into his made-up languages), while thematically, the loss of Erebor and the exile of Thorin's people resembled the plight of the post-Roman Jewish diaspora. Of course, [[SJW|some people]] suggest that the real reason for the comparison was racist in nature - both dwarves and the stereotype of Jews are that they're greedy. Tolkien however made it a point that his characters, while just as fallible as any other human being, were ultimately heroic and honorable.

On the other hand, much of Dwarven culture, like most aspects of Tolkien's major races, derives from early Germanic culture - Tolkien's Dwarves are even named after Dwarves from Norse mythology; nearly all dwarven names come directly from the Norse Eddas. In many fantasy universes, they tend to ape Scandinavian culture much more directly, which is fitting, considering the mythology they come from. [[Warhammer Fantasy|Even if there are already]] [[Warriors of Chaos|Scandinavian]] [[Warhammer Fantasy|people in the setting]].

Another common historical analogue are Celts, in particular Scots, living in clans, in the mountains, full of berserker rage when angered, hospitable when not, gruff, wear horned helmets, are drunkards, short, grippy with money, brew the strongest ales, skilled artificers and usually starters of anything remotely resembling industrialization, are fond of Celtic knotwork and of course speak in Scottish accents like many depictions of dwarves.

Of note is is the spelling: Dwarves VS Dwarfs. when in doubt, look for how it's used in the setting involved. Nearly everyone uses the first spelling when regarding the fantasy creature. The Dwarfs variation is mainly used in astronomy, biology (dwarfism), the Snow White animation movie, the Discworld novels, and the [[Warhammer_Fantasy_Battle|WFB]] race. The latter is actually the original, more common version. Tolkien viewed 'dwarfs' rather unsightly, and coined 'dwarves' (paralleling elf-> elves, and wolf -> wolves. Related: milf -> milves). Usually, Dwarf is the singular, Dwarves is the plural.

==Etymology==
The most common name for a dwarf on /tg/, however, is Dorf (plural: Dorfz), which results from psudophonetics, as do many /tg/ related words and [[meme]]s.

==Other Historical Dwarves==
Dwarfism in humans is something that's been around for forever, and there are some cultures that have dwarven gods and myths. One of the best and most notable of these is Bes, an Egyptian god. Bes is a god of good luck and... male endowment, a trait which is passed on to all dwarves.

==Monstergirls?==
{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:MGE Dwarf.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Ravioli ravioli do not lewd the hammer loli.]]
Whether or not dwarves can be [[monstergirls]] is an issue of.. some debate on /tg/. See, whereas the [[elf]] races have always been portrayed as full of beautiful women (and men, depending on your preferences), and female elves are the archetype for elfin characters, dwarves are considered an incredibly masculine race; there's doubtlessly only one female dwarf character at most that you can name for every ten male ones. Add to it the ancient lore of dwarven women being bearded, and female dwarves have generally been in the sad position of being considered ''less'' inherently fuggable than female [[goblin]]s and [[orc]]s.

But this is /tg/, and fantasy has moved on. As editions have gone past, D&D dwarves have gotten hotter and sexier, their fembeard past consigned to [[Discworld|one particular comic relief section of fantasy]] and the desks of the most hardcore [[grognard]]s, and /tg/ has slowly begun to open to the idea that dwarf women can be hot.

The monstergirl dwarf typically fills what is called the [[shortstack]] niche; small yet truly curvaceous women (which was actually the canon direction D&D 4e took for them) who let their stature work ''for'' them in terms of being sexy. The modern iteration of the dwarf monstergirl often incorporates aspects of either the [[musclegirl]] (a strong yet sexy woman), the ladette (a hot woman who nonetheless acts like one of the guys), or both; the end result is a hard-playing hot woman who will sit on the couch with you, nestled neatly into your lap as she cheers on the wrestling or the monster trucks of whatever, eating spicy wings and chugging beer by the gallon, and who'll then drag you into bed and fuck you until the bed breaks afterwards, all whilst being the perfect height you can pick her up and carry her around. Or she can give you boobsex without even needing to bend down.

Or there's the Japanese take on the idea, where your female dwarf is a spunky, super-strong [[loli]] with an elaborately oversized hairdo, as seen in hentai like [[Queen's Blade]]. The [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]] infamously went this route for its dwarf mamono, creating one of the youngest-looking lolis in its archive until the even-more-controversial [[Slime|Humpty Egg]] was released. The MGE Dwarf is a [[succubus]]-type mamono who specializes in applying its dexterous fingers to give absolutely incredible handjobs, although it relishes the chance to show off its [[goblin]]-like stretchiness by making even the biggest manhood disappear.

A third option is the dirndl-clad traditional lady, often carrying several large tankards of ale for the thirsty men. This plays more to their German roots and caters to an entirely different kind of taste. Incidentally, male dwarves wearing the ''tracht'' that form the counterparts of said dresses (think something like lederhosen) is rather uncommon.

Ironically, despite the existence of Bes above, dwarf monstergirls as dusky-skinned skimpily clad party girl [[shortstack]]s has never appeared on /tg/.

==See Also==
* [[Unified_Setting/Dwarf]]
* [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)]]
* [[Dwarf Fortress]]
* [[Squat]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWz0qVvBZ0 Diggy Diggy Hole], a song based on a one-note joke in a Yogscast video on [[Minecraft]], but manages to summarize the true dwarven way of life perfectly, it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU has eventually gone on to be covered by a full metal band].

==Gallery==
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<gallery>
Image:Ravenloft 3e Dwarves.png
Image:Female Charduni Dwarf.jpg
Image:4e_Dwarves_1.jpg
Image:4e_Dwarves_2.jpg
Image:4e_Dwarves_3.jpg
Image:4e_Female_Dwarf_Rogue_Concept.jpg
Image:4e Female_Dwarf_Cleric_Concept.jpg
Image:4e_Female_Dwarf_Rampaging_Brute.jpg
Image:4e_Female_Dwarf_Wizard.jpg
Image:Eva_Widermann_4e_Female_Dwarves.jpg
Image:4e_Dwarf_Warlock_Concept.png
Image:5e Dwarf.png
Image:-Neanderthal-Comparison-2.jpg|Scientists say that the Homo Neanderthals were the forefathers of the concept of the Dwarves, and they rightfully look like one too... God bless our extinct stone-age brethren.
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:Dwarves]][[Category:Dwarf Fortress]][[Category:Monsters]]