Warhammer 40K: The Leagues of Votann – Origins of the Kin

The Leagues of Votann are the Squats returned. But what are their origins? Time to see what they have to say about themselves.

The Leagues of Votann are a prominent Squat civilization based around the Galactic Core. For thousands of years, they have exploited the riches of the core and overcome the dangers of the perilous region. Over these many millennia they have battled many of the galaxy‘s races, while just as frequently trading or acting as mercenaries.

The Votann are a rugged survivalist culture, having derived their society from the dangerous merchant-fleets of the Dark Age of Technology. They find strength and unity in the endless quest to acquire the resources they need to endure. While many judge them as selfish hoarders, they see these actions as necessary to ensure the survival of their race. Few other races can match the cloned Kin of the Leagues of Votann in the resilience of mind, body, and spirit.

Origins of the Kin

According to the First Truths of the Leagues of Votann, the Kins origins lie in the Age of Myth. It is said that during this time, mining explorers and settlers known as the First Ancestors set out for the Galactic Core in Generation Ships from what was almost certainly pre-Imperial Terra. Seeking its great wealth, these fleets left with highly advanced Artificial Intelligences known as Votann Ancestor Cores in order to provide them with all the wisdom and aid they would require in their mission.

While it is unknown as to why these Fleets never returned to the heartlands of Humanity, from the fact that so many fleets plunged into the Galactic Core within a period of only a few centuries it may have been a deliberate choice. It is during this period that the last references to the First Ancestors are made, often blurring with the tales of Ancestor Cores. These are themselves referred to as The Votann, with the Kin employing the two terms interchangeably. It is said that the First Ancestors were responsible for the majority of stable mutations known as Cloneskeins which allowed the Kin to survive within the Galactic Core. Some accounts claim this was in response to some sort of threat, others that it was done to ready the Kin for inhabiting their new home. Regardless of the truth, the Cloneskeins made the Votann more durable and physically stronger than standard Humans, as well as more resistant to the mutating power of the Warp and Chaos.

As the Fleets settled the Galactic Core, Holds and soon began to construct space-borne Particle Excavators to disassemble newborn stars, employing their fusion harvest to refine elements undreamt of and fueling a burgeoning industry. One by one, the Leagues formed. Trade routes bridged void-straits battered by stellar winds, or saw merchant craft ply back and forth between the Core’s outer disc and the ominous dead zone that encircled the supermassive black hole at its heart. More and greater Holds were raised upon new worlds. Life was hard, but the rewards were plentiful, and the Kin saw clearly the benefits of thriving in a location where competitor species could not. Thus, as millennia passed, the Leagues of Votann continued to focus upon settling the immense sprawl of the Core and exploiting its boundless riches.

Return of the Squats

While the Leagues of Votann have since encountered all the major races of the galaxy thanks to their Prospector Fleets, in some cases these interactions have been limited and limited to a single fleet, conflict, or trade agreement. The Kin are close-mouthed around outsiders, and are reluctant to reveal the extent of their civilization within the Galactic Core lest it risk their existence. Many outside players in the Galaxy have thus mistaken these fleets for the entirety of their race and dismissed them as a minor alien civilization.

In Imperial records, it is impossible to say how many itinerant nomad races, xenos traders, or Abhuman settlements have actually been Kin. Where they have been identified consistently, the Kin are typically referred to as the pejorative of “Squat” and vary in classification between Abhuman and true Xenos. The Kin have mistakenly been identified as the Demiurg to Tau and Human alike, to the Eldar as the Heliosi Ancients, and to other peoples as the Gnostari, the Kreg, and others.

To the Kin, they bear all this with a mixture of contempt and amusement. They are especially careful not to reveal their links to ancient Humanity on Terra, lest the Imperium impose a claim upon them. For the most part, the Imperium has been an enemy as often as an ally. The Inquisition or especially zealous Space Marines are quick to name the Kin xenos and demand their slaughter, while the Kin have disdain for the superstitious Imperium and in particular the Adeptus Mechanicus. They see the acquisitive ignorance of the Mechanicum especially dangerous and are on orders to swiftly eliminate them where they cannot be avoided.

The Leagues of Votann maintain semi-cordial relations with other species, such as the Eldar and Tau Empire. There are exceptions of course, and while the Demiurg seem to happily coexist with the Tau there have been clashes between the Votann and Tau Empire around the Chalnath Expanse.

For more on the Leagues of Votann Check out the Lexicanum

Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.

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