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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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'''Squats''' (''Homo sapiens rotundus'') were short, stocky and tough [[abhuman]]s. Of all the abhuman types, they most closely resembled humans. Squats were the descendants of humans who colonised colonized the worlds around the galactic core in the far distant past. These worlds are some of the oldest in the galaxy, formed when the laws of physics had yet to be stabilized.
The Squat ancestors were human colonists that reached the mineral rich worlds around the galactic core, during the time of the initial expansion beyond Earth's own solar system, long before the emergence of the [[Emperor]]. The colonisation colonization came at the right time, as Earth's own mineral wealth was depleted. The worlds at the galactic core were rich in rare and unique minerals, but in terms of life were barren and unsuited for colonisationcolonization. These worlds are dark and bleak. Their gravity is great, usually two or three times that of Earth. Their atmospheres are either thin or non-existent. Even those planets with atmospheres are blasted by tremendous storms.
These planets became mining worlds. Colonists were forced to become self-sufficient, providing their own underground grown food. Due to the completely hostile nature of the surface the colonists formed underground societies. During the long isolation of the Age of Strife, the Squat race developed, evolving to suit their environment, becoming tougher, more resilient and physically shorter.
Some say the real history of the Squats begins in the [[Age of Strife]] when their worlds were cut off from [[Terra]] and the race developed, but their actual origins begin much earlier during the [[Dark Age of Technology]], or as the Squats call called it, the Age of Founding.
==Relations with the Imperium==
The Imperium first encountered the Squats during the age of reunification called the [[Great Crusade]] as the Emperor's forces reached the worlds near the galactic core. Many of these worlds were the Squat Homeworlds. Stubborn, insular and fiercely independent, war between the Squats and the Imperial forces was inevitable. High casualties suffered by the Space Marine Legions led to the development of the mark 3 Mk. III power armourarmor, suitable for the conditions being fought in - confined tunnel complexes with little cover<sup>3</sup>.
The Squat Homeworlds have long been part of the Imperium, but enjoy a level of autonomy greater than the ordinary self-governed Imperial world. The Homeworlds, while governing themselves without interference from the Adeptus Terra, are expected to follow Imperial policy on wider issues.
The Squats do not follow the Imperial Cult, rather they revere their ancestors. Squats fighting alongside the [[Imperial Guard]] often adopt the Emperor into their beliefs, as a guardian of their ancestors.
Squat technology is based upon the heavy mining equipment they brought with them to the Home Worlds. During their isolation from the rest of humanity they adapted it for other uses, notably exo-armour armor which was engineered from heavy mining suits. Squats continued to innovate and invent while humanity sank into a Dark Age.
As a result, the Squats have developed technologies such as neo-plasma and warp cores far in advance of anything the Imperium owns. Some Squat technologies were absorbed into the Imperium, especially tunnelling tunneling vehicles and weaponry such as the Termite.
In ''Warhammer 40,000 '' Squats had a similar armament to Imperial armies, coming with las and bolt weaponry as standard. Armies also included squads in exo-armour armor supported with bikes and trikes. Squats were characterised characterized in Epic with colossal war machines, including the Land Train (which supported many different cars, including the Dragon Car, the Berserker Car, the Mortar Car and the Rad Bomb car), Leviathan (used as a mobile infantry transport, capable of holding almost a hundred squats within), Cyclops (a spaceship weapon mounted on a Colossus chassis and used originally to devastate rival Squat warlord's war machines) and [[Colossus]].
==Squat History==
===Age of Isolation===
The '''Age of Isolation''' corresponds with the earlier part of the [[Age of Strife]] - around eighteen thousand years ago. The galactic core was cut off from the rest of human space by the devastating [[warp storm]]s of the Age of Strife. Many worlds were swallowed by the warp and disappeared forever, others were trapped in stasis and became lost. Most survived although they were separated from Earth and all contact was lost with the rest of the galaxy. During this time of isolation and danger the Squat worlds still in contact with each other began to organise organize for their mutual defencedefense. It was at this time that the Squats began to refer to their worlds as the Homeworlds.
The Homeworlds remained isolated for thousands of years and their inhabitants learned to survive in a universe that was becoming increasingly hostile. Those that survived grew and prospered. Settlements were enlarged and fortified into impregnable [[Stronghold]]s. They soon developed alternative technologies to make up for the lack of supplies from Earth.
During the isolation the complex system of [[Guild]]s developed. These Guilds were responsible for preserving technical knowledge and skills as well as training technicians, miners and other specialists necessary for the Strongholds. The Guilds transcended the Strongholds, allowing every Stronghold to benefit from the preserved knowledge as well as new advances in technology.
During this age the [[League]]s first began to develop from Strongholds allied for trading and defence defense purposes.
===Age of Trade===
The '''Age of Trade''' took place during a slight abatement of the warp storms during the Age of Strife and led to the Squats encountering other races, including [[Orks]] and [[Eldar]].
At the beginning of the Age of Trade, some strongholds were attacked, but the aliens quickly realised realized that the Squats were determined and tenacious fighters, and that trade was a more practical arrangement. The Squats took full advantage of their tremendous mineral wealth, which they traded for weapons, foodstuffs and high-technology systems. To this day, Squat hydroponic plants, developed with Eldar help, are among the most efficient food sources in the Imperium. The Squats remained carefully neutral in the numerous conflicts between Eldar and Orks, maintaining trade links with both sides. There were inevitably small wars from time to time, but for the most part the Squats' complex structureof treaties and trade agreements maintained a stable peace.
===Age of Wars===
==Age of the Imperium==
The Squat Homeworlds were almost unique in the Imperium - though they were a part of the Imperium, they were not directly controlled by the Administratum. Instead, they are allowed a certain amount of autonomy, being ruled by their strongholds and [[League]]s just as they were before the Age of Rediscovery. The experiences of the previous millennia has left the Squats with a strong sense of cultural unity and a fiercely independent nature, and instead of rejoining the Imperium as subject worlds, the Homeworlds negotiated a series of treaties which enabled them to keep their independence. The racial character of the Squats - hard-working, tenacious, honourablehonorable, and inimical to alien races - was almost perfect from the Imperial point of view, and the Imperium was content to allow them a great degree of self-government.
Both the Imperium and the Squats benefit from this arrangement: the Homeworlds provide troops for the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard also provides military support to the Homeworlds when necessary, as they would any other threatened Imperial worlds. Additionally the Squats trade their mineral wealth exclusively with the Imperium.
During their long isolation the Squats were forced to become self-sufficient in order to survive the barren environments of their Homeworlds. They have also managed to maintain technological knowledge and expertise, which has allowed the race to continue to progress technologically. Accordingly the Squats have developed their own advanced technologies, which not even the most technically-adept of the Techpriests understand. These include the neoplasma reactor powered by a warp-core and held in thrall by a zero-energy containment field. No other race has developed this technology and the Adeptus Mechanicus gave up on their experiments with warp-cores after the infamous Contagion of [[Ganymede]]. Some of the technology developed by the Squat engineers is considered too dangerous and remains unused<sup>2</sup>. Several of the weapons now in regular Imperial service were originally developed by the Squats: this includes the [[Leviathan (Transport)|Leviathan super-heavy assault transport]], [[Thunderfire cannon]], [[Thudd gun]] and [[Mole mortar]].
In war, the Squats used squads of motorcycles supported by massive artillery barrages from juggernaut war machines such as the [[Land Train]], [[Colossus (war machine)|Colossus]], [[Cyclops (Squat)|Cyclops]] and [[Leviathan (Transport)|Leviathan]]. They also used advanced armourarmor, such the heavy [[exo-armour]]armor.
==Extinction==
The [[Demiurg]] are a revitalization of the "Space Dwarf" concept. According to [[Jervis Johnson]] they will probably never be a major race, rather remaining in the background.
Despite this, certain miniature companies have been producing Space Dwarf models, and some players have even converted the rules of ''Warhammer 40K '' to allow them to play. Despite how popular this trend has proven to be, the official ruling from Games Workshop is that only ''40K '' races can be used in ''40K''.
==Related articles==
*[[League]]
*[[Squat army]]
*[[Quotes Squats|Squat Quotes]] - Squat-related background quotes.
==Sources==
