Leagues of Votann
| Leagues of Votann | |
| |
| Capital: | Decentralized |
| Major Species: | Squats, Ironkin |
| Type of Government | Mercantile Confederation |
| Head of state: | Ancestor Cores |
| Governing body: | Various Hearthspakes |
| Religion: | Ancestor Worship |
| Military forces | |
The Leagues of Votann are a prominent Kin 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.[1a]
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.[1a]
Contents
History
Origins
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 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.[1b]
While it is unknown why these Fleets never returned to the heartlands of Humanity, due to 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.[1b]
As the Fleets settled the Galactic Core, Holds 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.[1b] Originally, Leagues were created in order to protect their precious Ancestor Cores.[12b] But soon enough 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.[1a]
The Votann and the Galaxy
Millennia have passed since the first of these mining fleets established Holds in the galactic core. The Kin have been content to remain largely within the bounds of this strange region, but have nonetheless had interactions with various civilizations and races seeking to plunder the core for it's great riches. Not all Kin have remained content to remain within the Core, and some ventured out into the greater Galaxy to establish trade with other species they have encountered. Many of these pioneers were not simply motivated by a desire for wealth, but rather a belief that in order to honour their Ancestors a Kin must live a full life and discover all that one can. This was the reason that many Prospector Fleets were sent out into the wider Galaxy. The Kin of these fleets have since fought as mercenaries in the wars of other species, returning only when they have gathered knowledge and experience fit to offer their Ancestor Core.[1a]
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 finite 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 factions in the Galaxy have thus mistaken these fleets for the entirety of their race and dismissed them as a minor alien civilization.[1a]
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.[1a]
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.[1a] The Kin have fought a number of grueling wars against Imperial armies in the past, and feel no bonds with Mankind despite their mutual history.[12b]
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.[1a]
During the Great Crusade, Kin were referred to within the Imperium as Kinfolk, and could be found on a variety of Imperial worlds. They were valued for their skill with machinery, and in the subsequent Horus Heresy some were inducted into the Imperialis Militia, willingly or not.[12]
During their long history the Leagues of Votann have engaged in countless wars. A disproportionate amount of these have been against the Orks of the Galactic Core, who remain their most hated and frequent foe. However, they have also come to battle the followers of Chaos who they view with a mix of disgust and bewilderment. Another significant foe are the Necron due to the Kin's disturbing of ancient Tomb Worlds or ancient Dynasties returned to reclaim worlds settled by the Kin.[1a]
The Tyranids, meanwhile, are known throughout the Leagues of Votann simply as "The Bane" and are afforded the wary respect one gives to an especially intelligent and dangerous predator. This has not prevented some Kindreds from actively stalking Tyranid fleets, striking at isolated Hive Ships in order to harvest their resources.[1a]
The formation of the Great Rift has shaken the Leagues of Votann to their foundations. Many new Warp Storms such as Örgvayr, Gëirokh, Töroll, Öggh, Cyklöp, and others all appeared simultaneously, swallowing entire systems. Holds vanished amidst the new swirling Warp storm belt, while trade routes were severed. Many Kindred were compelled to relocate their holdings, abandoning regions held for thousands of years and venturing out from the Galactic Core to seek more stable areas to settle.[1c]
Both within the core and beyond its fringes, the Rift's creation has driven the Kin into new conflicts, as well as stirring up old foes and setting them on a collision course with the Leagues.[1c] The Kin not only came into conflict with the forces of Chaos, but also with Xenos such as the Septeryx, Chrobdyr Ferrophagites, and the ominous Cult of Ohn.[1e] During this time of great calamity, the Kin refused to give the Great Rift an overarching name, believing it would lend further superstitious menace to it. They choose instead to name the greatest of the component Warp storms that have opened within the Galactic Core, treating each as a separate peril.[1c]
Because of the Rift, many Kin have chosen new settlement outside of the core for the first time in millennia. At the same time, the universal upheaval catapulted Humans, Eldar, and Tau interlopers into the galactic core, dislocated through space and time by the Rift. Thus the Leagues of Votann now find themselves dealing with outsiders on a level unseen in their history.[1e]
Society
The Leagues of Votann are in essence an enormous system of interstellar alliances comprising many autonomous and close-knit Leagues and Kindreds. They are part military coalition, part mercantile conglomerate, and part explorative star-faring empire.[1a]
The Squats of the Leagues of Votann refer to themselves as Kin. All Kin – barring only rare outcasts – belong to an extended familial and biological grouping known as a Kindred. Kindreds dwell in Holds, which appear similar at first glance but often are wildly different in their structures, layouts and locations. Each Kindred is ruled over by a Hearthspake, and nearly all Kindreds and their Holds in turn pledge their allegiance to a League that make up the Leagues of Votann. At the heart of every one of these Leagues is a Votann Ancestor Core, a venerable thinking machine created long ago and placed aboard the first Kin mining fleets. Some of the most notable Leagues include the Greater Thurian League, Trans-Hyperian Alliance, Ymyr Conglomerate, Urani-Surtr Regulates, and Kronus Hegemony.[1a]
Another important aspect of Votann society is the Guild, which are united bodies that make up of all those Kin whose perform a particular role or provide a particular service. Guilds officially exist outside of Kindreds and Leagues, but in truth a great deal of overlapping takes place at the lower levels.[1b]
While the Leagues of Votann sport a large population greater than the T'au or Eldar, they still pale in comparison to the teeming masses of Humanity. The Leagues are a cloned race, each generation emerging from devices known as Crucibles. Their numbers are further augmented by the Ironkin, Artificial Intelligences clad in mechanical bodies and dedicated in aiding their fleshy brothers. To the Kin, the Ironkin are equal and valuable members of their society. The Leagues of Votann are a highly conservative and stubborn society, and securing their aid in any endeavor is known to be highly difficult. While valuable and loyal allies, they look to their own familial duties and obligations first, as well as the interests of their race's survival. If they deem the motivations of others to go against these particular interests, they are as likely to become foes than friends.[1a]
When a Kin dies, they usually are sent to rejoin their Ancestor Core. Their minds are offered up to the Votann in the belief that their experiences will enrich the machine minds and aid future generations. This places great pressure on individual Kin to live up to the perceived ideals of their Ancestors, driving them on in their duties. It is a major motivator for Oathbands setting out to fight as soldiers of fortune in wars of other races, for doing so allows them to learn much from their temporary employers. This act has, ironically, potentially contributed to the decline of the Ancestor Cores, for over the millennia they have been forced to intake more (and often duplicate) data from the exponentially growing Votann civilization.[1c]
The Leagues of Votann usually do not bother with incarceration of transgressors from their own kind, instead using exile as their harshest punishment. This serves to ensure that the Kin will never be rejoined with their Votann Ancestor Core. Furthermore, their name is told to the Core so that the Ancestors know who has failed them and can forbid the transgressor entrance into another Kindred or League.[1c]
In terms of religion, the Kin of the Leagues of Votann maintain their own Cults of Ancestor-Worship. Moreover some, like the Trans-Hyperian Alliance, pursue their duties with an almost religious fanaticism.[1f]
For measuring time, the Kin utilize rotes (seemingly the equivalent of hours or days) and watches (seemingly the equivalent of years).[8b]
Biology
Kin of the Leagues of Votann, often referred to pejoratively as Squats due to their build, are known to be extremely hardy and resilient. This is thanks to their Cloneskeins, genetic templates that give the cloned Kin a variety of physical and spiritual abilities. Their species also have higher red and white blood cell counts, and formidable strength and resilience. Other Cloneskeins impart enhanced reaction times, infra-red vision, or limited resistance to extreme temperatures, gravity, and radiation. Many Cloneskeins manifest physically, whether it be unusually colored eyes or skin, craggy subdermal layers, chemical body odors, or various other giveaways.[1b] New Kin are spawned in cloning vats dubbed Crucibles, already emerging mostly grown and mentally developed with their base level of knowledge for their tasks ahead.[8a]
More esoterically, Cloneskeins allowed the souls of the Kin to shine far more dimly in the Warp than other races such as Humans. This makes the Kin extremely resilient in the face of mutations and temptations of Chaos. Thus there are no true Psykers within the Leagues of Votann. Even those Kin who carry psychoactive Cloneskeins shine just brightly enough to mesh with ward-tech, such as Ancestral Warding Staves and Crests which channel Barrier-Tech and allow for the use of limited Warp-based powers.[1b]
Ironkin are Artificial Intelligences encased in mechanical bodies and treated by organic Kin as complete equals in their society.[1a]
Economy
The Leagues of Votann are at their core an economic alliance that originated from the Human mining fleets of the Dark Age of Technology. Over the long millennia they have grown fabulously wealthy from mining the many resources of the Galactic Core and beyond. Their insatiable appetite for mercantile enterprises has led them far beyond mere mining. Utilizing their advanced technology, they are capable of dismantling entire planets for resources, hunting down gigantic space creatures for harvesting, or even tapping into the seams of the Warp for even more exotic resources. What resources they gather are used to further enrich their respective Leagues.[13a]
The Kin's actions serve none but their own kind. While they do frequently engage in economic agreements with other civilizations, they are equally capable of utilizing extortion, conquest, or total eradication of others in the pursuit of profit. They have harvested worlds to the core while paying no heed to the indigenous populations on its surface, or stripped atmospheres of rare particles to doom the biosphere below. What route the Leagues take in these endeavors are purely determined by calculating risk versus reward, a concept that underpins all of Kin society. These acts are undertaken not just to gather resources, but also obtain new experiences and knowledge that may one day be transferred back to their Ancestor Cores.[13a]
League Territories
The homeland of the Leagues exists within the vast and inhospitable, but phenomenally wealthy, Galactic Core. It is thanks to the Cloneskein biological templates that the Kin have been able to thrive in this region.[1b] Within the Core, even the smallest of Kindreds operate a Hold World, mining outposts, nomad flotilla, or void station they can call home. The largest and most prosperous meanwhile will rule over multiple star systems. Besides these colonized planets, the Leagues have also formed a great many mining settlements, trading hubs, and more.[1e]
Though there have been dark times when civil war has raged between Kindreds or Leagues, such occurrences are rare for they are viewed by the Kin as dishonourable and wasteful. Usually, once a League has laid claim to a region, that claim is honoured by all other Kin and established boundaries rarely shift. If such a revision of territories does take place, it is most commonly due to a change of ownership or new contract or trade agreement.[1e]
However, this bellicosity does not extend to conquering new territories, for the Kin consider any region of space not already claimed by them open for conquest. That other races might already dwell there is seen as either a trade opportunity at best or an obstacle that needs to be removed at worst. Should these non-Kin be amendable to League rule, peaceful habitation is possible so long as the Kin can continue with their desired acquisitions uninterrupted. Some Kin have managed to exist in peaceful alliances with non-Squat civilizations for some time, such as the "Demiurg" of the T'au Empire.[1e]
Technology
Much of the basic technology of the Leagues of Votann is broadly derived from the same STC patterns of those used by the Imperium, so the two maintain a great deal of base similarity. However, Kin designs are of superior build and effectiveness to their Imperial counterparts.[2] The engineers of the Votann, the Brokhyr, are known to slowly modify and improve the original STCs in a manner that would horrify the Imperium. This lack of dogma extends into the sphere of Artificial Intelligence, for the Votann utilize large amounts of fully sentient Ironkin.[1g]
The warships of the Kin tend to be enormous in size, with even smaller vessels such as the Bastion and Stronghold Classes matching most races' Cruisers in capability. The Kin achieve FTL with Warp Drives and Gellar Fields similar to that of Humanity, but of greater reliability and accuracy at the expense of expediency. In order to circumnavigate the Warp, Kin vessels utilize Ironkin Wayfinders.[1b] In place of the Astropathic Choirs of the Imperium, the Leagues of Votann communicate near-instantaneously over interstellar distances through the use of their Fanes; arcane, heavily-guarded, and culturally significant technological devices.[8b]
The Leagues at War
The Leagues of Votann use a vast document dubbed Gräf01 to organise their military forces.[11] The basic unit of war for the Leagues of Votann is the Kinhost, which operates at the Kindred level. The Kinhost consists of Hearthkyn, Einhyr Hearthguard, Theyns, and Kâhls and is overall commanded by a Kindred's Votannic Council.[1d]
The Votannic Council is normally called upon for only the greatest of conflicts a Kindred may engage in, and for smaller wars they are led by ad-hoc gatherings of heroes such as Kâhls, Brokhyr Iron-Masters, Grimnyr, or Living Ancestors. These Kinhosts and their vehicles are in turn supported by other Kin organisations as the Hernkyn and Cthonian Mining Guilds. These forces are in turn divided into a number of Oathband, which is usually ad hoc in nature and varies greatly in size and composition.[1d] Further specialist temporary formations such as Harvests, Hearthbands, and Forgebands are also employed as needed.[11]
Kin military doctrine emphasizes a leader's ability to calmly assess enemy threats in the midst of battle, remaining stoic as they determine which hostiles pose the greatest threats to their efforts. Known as casting the Eye of the Ancestors, this talent allows Kin war leaders to judge at a glance which enemies are the most dangerous, where enemy fortifications are their weakest, and how to balance their resources in countering enemy threats. The greatest of these foes have nonetheless plagued the Kin for generations, and have earned a strong Grudge from the Leagues of Votann. Sometimes Grudgebands are formed in order to fight these foes and settle the grudge.[1a]
Forces
| Leagues of Votann Forces | |
|---|---|
| Command | |
| Elites | |
| Troops | |
| Vehicles & Artillery | |
| Aircraft | |
| Support | |
| Special Characters | |
Notable Kin of the Leagues of Votann
- Ûthar the Destined – Kâhl of the Greater Thurian League[1d]
- Buri Aegnirssen - The Thrice-Devoured[10]
- Berehk Stornbrow - Cthonian Beserk[14]
Development History
 |
The Leagues of Votann are a reboot of the earlier Squats of Warhammer 40,000 lore, which had been killed off (or "Squatted") by the 2nd Edition.[3] The Leagues were introduced in the 9th Edition of Warhammer 40,000 as a new playable faction. Some earlier Squat lore as well as other groups such as the Demiurg are dismissed as misunderstandings and misclassifications by other races, which did not fully understand the scope of the Leagues civilization and did not have full access to their homelands within the Galactic Core.[1a]
Related Videos
See also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Leagues of Votann (9th Edition):
- 2: Warhammer Community: Lore of the Votann – Ancient Quasi-divine Machine Intellects Make for Decent Gunsmiths, it Turns Out (posted 20/5/2022) (last accessed 20 May 2022)
- 3: Polygon: Warhammer 40K’s Squats are back with a full army later this year (posted 05/04/2022) (last accessed 2/10/2022)
- 4: Warhammer Community: Welcome to the Big Leagues – Who Are the Five Biggest Leagues of Votann? (posted 13/09/2022) (last accessed 13 September 2022)
- 5: Warhammer Community: What April Fools? The 41st Millennium’s Next Faction is Real – Here’s a Model to Prove it (posted 02/04/2022) (last accessed 11/5/2022)
- 6: Warhammer Community: The Leagues of Votann Are Coming – But What Actually Is a Votann? (posted 22/04/2022) (last accessed 09 November 2025)
- 7: Warhammer Community: Lead Your Kinhost From the Front With the Skill, Determination, and Giant Fist of a Leagues of Votann Kâhl (posted 15/08/2022) (last accessed 15 August 2022)
- 8: The High Kâhl's Oath (Novel):
- 9: Kill Team: Gallowfall, pg. 5
- 10: Warhammer Community: The Big Summer Preview – Reinforcing the Kindred (archived from the original 18 July 2025, last accessed 18 July 2025)
- 11: Warhammer Community: Anatomy of an Oathband – How Gräf01 organises the Leagues of Votann (archived from the original 7 August 2025, last accessed 7 August 2025)
- 12: Warhammer Community: Imperialis Militia – Download this free PDF army list - Legacies of the Age of Darkness: The Imperialis Militia PDF, pg. 8 (archived from the original 28 August 2025, last accessed 28 August 2025)
- 13: Codex: Leagues of Votann (10th Edition):
- 14: Warhammer Community: World Championships Preview – New champions get stuck into close-range brawls in Warhammer 40,000 (archived from the original 7 November 2025, last accessed 7 November 2025)
