Editing Kharadron Overlords (section)

==Society==
[[File:Kharadron outofarmour.jpg|200px|thumb|right|War. War never changes.]]
[[File:Skyport life.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A typical street in the city of a skyport. [[How Imperial Life Is Worse Than You Can Imagine|Still not as grimdark as the one in the 40th millennium]]]]
Kharadron society is a <s>humanist</s> DWARFist plutocracy, where money is power, with a full-blown meritocracy as a system of social promotion. You go places by <s>being good</s> making [[Profit]]. Grudges are still a thing but they are only pursued if its actually beneficial and not detrimental to their society (which again is to avoid disgraces such as getting into wars with your former prime trade-partners for getting a shave and a misunderstanding, like in the War of the Beard). Grudges are added to the "Log of Grudges" and how they are filled depends on the port. Barak Nar's is almost untouched, as traditions such as this are against progress, but Barak Thryng's is heavily used.

Another characteristic of their society that was revealed over time is the their encouragement of technological development and scientific research, done in academia's at the sky-ports, a decision which has made the Kharadron arguably the most advanced race in the setting. If nothing else, it looks like Andrew Ryan's ideas are alive and well (if less harsh in execution) in the Age of Sigmar. However, unlike Rapture, where the denizens sought out a place to conduct their own individualist pursuits without any moral guidelines, the Kharadron's system of innovation and profit stemmed from their need to band together, adapt and survive during the Age of Chaos. Thus, their meritocratic system of operation combined with their pursuit of innovation and trade establishes a society where it is ensured that the most capable Dwarf is in charge of a job and equipped with the most up to date equipment, to make sure that their trade routes stay open and their sky ports stay airborne.

The Kharadron overlords live in skyports, massive air-fortresses teeming with countless vessels floating around and on an unending flow of cash. Hundreds of trade-routs go and pass by these holds of the sky. Floating metropolises held aloft by the power of aether-gold, the Kharadron sky-ports are the dominant power in the skies of the Mortal Realms. Merchants and adventurers flock from afar to visit these technological hubs, for within their bustling dock districts can be found all manner of exotic goods and illicit secrets.
When they first rose from the mountains of Chamon and took to the clouds, the sky-ports of the Kharadron Overlords were floating fortresses, fashioned for survival and armed for war. While they still maintain a formidable array of firepower – as any foe foolish enough to stray within range of their skycannon batteries will attest – they have become much more than mere defensive strongholds. They are amongst the greatest centres of trade in the Mortal Realms, each home to many thousands of duardin and visited by representatives from all of the civilised nations.

The exact size and layout of a sky-port can vary greatly, but the majority are constructed as a series of concentric squares, with the vital administrative and governmental districts placed at the centre. All are bordered by vast and bustling dockyards, which are constant hives of activity. Most sky-ports refuse to allow any non-Kharadron beyond the docklands, and so these quarters are filled to the brim with humans, aelves and other races, whose every desire is catered to by enterprising traders. Bathed in the candescent glow of whaleen-oil lamps, the labyrinthine streets echo to the chattering chorus of a thousand different languages. Endrintrams and steam-gondolas provide access along the canalways that run through the sky-port; these function as sewers and water-pipe routes, but also dispose of waste by spilling it out of hatches to rain down on the lands below.

Above, the skies are choked with airships – not solely military models, but civilian skiffs, bulk haulers and yachts. In the busiest sky-ports, traders can sometimes be forced to wait in lane for several days in order to secure a berth. Barak-Zilfin in particular is known for its heavily congested airlanes. According to the Code, each Sky-port controls all airspace around its domicile within the span of three cannon shots. Beyond that, the expanse of the skies is known as the ‘high airs’, and is regarded as neutral territory. The borders of each sky-port are guarded by floating fortresses armed with intimidating arrays of cannons and swivel-guns, informally known as ‘Zunfar towers’, after the Admiral who pioneered their use.

When returning Frigates and their escort vessels make port, troupes of dirty, battle-scarred Arkanauts unload their latest acquisitions before heading deeper into the city to make the most of their temporary leave. Gambling halls, smoke- shrouded darak-dens and garish bawdyhouses all provide much- needed opportunities for Arkanauts to blow off steam. With fresh aether- gold shares burning a hole in their pocket and often only a few days or weeks to make use of, they waste no time getting drunk on cheap ale and heading to the card tables. This release of pent-up energy sometimes gets a little rough, at which point it is down to the Copperhats – a slightly derogatory name for the longshore marshals – to maintain order. These no-nonsense naval police, usually made up of veteran Grundstok Marines injured in the line of duty or neophyte Arkanaut recruits, go about their task methodically with billy clubs and fists.

On the day of Brynruf – when the sun shines gold over Chamon – the different Arkanaut Academies of every sky-port hold a six-day competition. Only the highest achievers are allowed into the Arkanaut Academies, the training facilities where airfleet veterans conduct military drills and teach aeronautical skills. On Musterpress days, Captains arrive to observe the drills, and they may choose to recruit new crew members by purchasing contracts, often to fill the places that have become available through death or injury. Those selected to join the Arkanaut Companies will endure any number of rites and rituals sacred to their new fleet, ship or both. Those passed over after three Musterpresses must instead settle for lesser positions, often on mining or fishing vessels or as dockworkers or factory hands. However, due to the urgent mobilization following the events of the Necroquake, a new decree was amended into the Kharadron Code, giving the Grundstok Corps, the largest private military company across the sky ports, first pick of any new Musterpress recruits at half their original contract price.

Beyond the dock districts sprawl endless rows of warehouses, aether- factories and other industrial
zones. These sectors are home to the lesser-chartered guilds, and are populated by many thousands of labourers – those duardin who were passed over by the Musterpresses and thus denied a career in the sky-fleets. Despite the Kharadron’s undoubted technological mastery, their existence can be a difficult one. Packed together like tinned globfish in almshouses and workhalls, they toil daily for a relative pittance; although Kharadron society is proudly meritocratic, factory bosses have a vested interest in ensuring their downtrodden workers do not rise beyond their station.

While aether-gold can be processed without releasing polluting smoke, much of the Kharadron Overlords’ heavy industry utilises other, less refined chemicals and metals. Smog and acidic rain showers are common, despite the use of endrin- bellows and dispersal fans to clear the worst of the contamination. Some sky-ports suffer from this chemical blight more than others; Barak-Nar’s relentless industrial drive and Barak-Zon’s ever- expanding weapons industries have led to particularly heavy pollution, bringing with it diseases such as sky-miner’s consumption, ironscale and the dreaded glowlung. The Aether-Khemists Guild of Barak- Nar has dedicated an entire arm of its alchemical labs to uncovering cures for these epidemics using sub- dermal infusions of aether-gold, but thus far only the richest residents are able to afford such treatment. By contrast, Barak-Thryng’s refusal to utilise wasteful, non-traditional methods of generating power means that its skies are relatively clear.

The wealthiest individuals in the sky- port reside close to its thriving heart, in gated towers and floating manses held aloft by a steady flow of aether- gold. From here, the Lord-Magnates and master industrialists of the city quite literally look down upon those less fortunate. Lord-Magnate Kreg Folsson of Barak-Urbaz has constructed an obscenely luxurious endrinvilla right above the refinery in which he once worked as a beardling, so that every day he can see just how far he has come.

At the centre of a sky-port lies its nexus of government, typically located amidst a wondrous plaza district portraying the city’s proudest military and economic achievements. These grand old structures include the Hall of Endeavour in Barak- Zilfin, the Sunrise Citadel of Barak- Nar, Barak-Mhornar’s mysterious Shadowmark Repository and the Kazakluft of Barak-Thryng. Here the Admirals Council gathers, and the dual businesses of profit and war are debated. No more than a handful of outsiders have ever been granted access to these closely-guarded quarters, but they speak of vast
and imposing chambers echoing to the bellicose sounds of Kharadron politics, and populated by minor armies of runescribes and dignitaries.

Kharadron Overlords are a fairly loose confederacy but ultimately they all, up to a degree, pay heed to their 'ruling body: the Geldraad. The Geldraad doubles as a board of directors parliaments, with a grand total of nineteen seats adjudicated by port on a wealth basis. It is where the code's amendments and footnotes are added.

===Notable Skyports===
* '''Barak Nar''': The City of the First Dawn. The mightiest of the skyports, having 6 delegates on the Geldraad (originally 7, but they got hit hard by the Necroquake and lost one). Barak Nar is called many things, among them the city of progress. It's citizens are many scholars and scientists and they are very obsessed with innovation and knowledge. They aren't fond of wizards, mainly because they view science as the answer to everything and they view progress through technology better ([[Chaos_Dwarfs|surely not magic envy, since Dwarfs lack the ability to use magic, which can transcend the material world where technology is bound by it]]). Its commanders are famous for being considerate tacticians when needed and brash opportunists when it's the best occasion for it, the prime example of this duality being Brok Grungsson, the most successful <s>man</s> duardin of the city and its Lord Magnate.
* '''Barak Zilfin''': The Windswept City. The second most powerful of the sky-ports at 5 delegates (they gained the seat of the Barak Narr delegate lost to the necroquake). It's fleets are the farthest reaching and they are amongst the finest navigators.
* '''Barak Zon''': The City of the Sun. Oldest of the skyports. It's famous for being the most militaristic of the skyports and its military might have helped greatly in the earning of 3 delegates in Geldraad (though they lost one).
* '''Barak Urbaz''': The Market City. The shrewdest merchants, infamous for ruleslawyering, bargaining with them is more dangerous than fighting killer beasts. Found in the Chamon region of Ayadah, they are mostly fighting against the Loonking [[Skragrott]] and the millions of grots that infest the lands below. At their peak they had 2 delegates, but lost 1, although they are far more politically powerful than this implies and the majority of amendments to the Code come from their proposals. Home to a population of Gholemkind, which judging from the name, are probably some sort of Age of Sigmar take on Warforged.
* '''Barak Mhornar''': The City of Shadow. The people of Barak Mhornar are very schewy in their interpretation of the Code, and are known to be scoundrels with very shady tactics and strategies. They started with 1 delegate on the Geldraad, but greatly increased their wealth and are the first of the Six to have left Chamon for a different realm and gained two more seats to bring the number to 3.
* '''Barak Thryng''': The City of the Ancestors. Originally from Karak Thain, these duardin were pushed out of their hold by the Hosts Duplicitous, and were only able to escape to the falling fortress thanks to the timely (and unintentional) efforts of a [[Gloomspite Gitz|slumbering Troggherd]] that was roused to anger thanks to the jabbering daemons of Tzeentch. Since joining the Kharadron, they have become staunch conservatives who are extremely anal about keeping with old duardin traditions and remembering their grudges, maybe even the closest thing you'll see to a religious Kharadron Barak. Basically old school dwarfs IN THE SKY! The weakest of The Six in terms of capital (the lowest port above them having more than triple their earnings), with just 1 Geldraad delegate and most likely because the other Baraks don't want to get a mark on their Log of Grudges, considering they just try to veto new amendments and footnotes.
* '''Barak Zhoff''': A Skyport that has gone missing. Possibly crashed, [[Chaos Dwarfs|possibly turned to Chaos.]] Nobody knows.
* '''Barak Khazzar''': An ill-fated Skyport that made the mistake of going on an expedition to a long-lost Karak, only for the [[Gloomspite Gitz]] that squatted in it to hijack their airships and use them to conquer their city. Now known as "Da Moon City" by its new inhabitants.